Maken alleges ₹750 crore scam, AAP refutes claim
NEW DELHI: Alleging irregularities in the procurement of 1,000 electric, low-floor buses, the Delhi Congress on Saturday said that the Delhi government is planning to purchase buses at inflated rates.
Citing a ‘status of fund report’ regarding the utilisation of amount deposited under the Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) and an affidavit filed by the government in the Supreme Court, party’s state unit president Ajay Maken said an electric bus cost ranges between ₹75 lakh and ₹1.75 crore. However, Delhi government intended to pay ₹2.5 crore for each bus.
“It is ₹750 crore scam in the purchase of 1,000 e-buses. As per the Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA) report, the cost of electric buses is between ₹75 lakh and ₹1.75 crore per unit, which means that there is over pricing of ₹75 lakh per bus, which is taxpayers’ hardearned money,” Maken said. The Congress leader made these allegations at a press conference on Saturday.
Transport minister Kailash Gahlot refuted Maken’s allegations saying that the Congress leader is “ill informed” about the Delhi government’s electric bus project. “He should get his facts right. Delhi government will not be procuring/buying electric buses. They will be introduced in the city on gross cost model, which is similar to the already existing cluster/ orange bus scheme,” he said.
Demanding a detail project report (DPR) to procure buses, Maken questioned the government decision appointing Delhi Integrated Multi-modal Transit System (DIMTS) as consultant on nomination bases for the same.
“In the absence of a DPR, how can the Cabinet award a project worth ₹2,500 crore to DIMTS? Earlier, the government had ordered special CAG audit of DIMTS. A report of the Fact Finding Committee on water tankers management distribution system in the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) mentioned that the DIMTS over charged ₹36.59 crore and caused huge losses to the government. Then why the Cabinet approved DIMTS appointment that is also despite the objection by the planning and finance department,” said Maken.
Gahlot further said that he himself had held detailed dis- cussions with all existing suppliers of electric buses, who are confident of supplying 1,000 electric buses to Delhi.
“The Delhi government has 50% stake in DIMTS. If we cannot use the services of DIMTS despite it being under us then how else do people expect us to use the urban transport planning body? DIMTS will first submit a DPR, so the allegation that there is no DPR is junked. The agency has already rendered advice to Dehradun, Ranchi, Dhanbad and Jamshedpur on their electric mobility plans,” Gahlot said.
The Delhi government had earlier this week told the Supreme Court that the council of ministers had given “in-principle approval” for procurement of 1,000 low-floor electric buses, which are expected to arrive June-july 2019 onwards.