Gupta smells scam in bus purchase

◗ Transport minister, Kailash Gahlot has finalised the scheme to hire 1000 low floor buses without calling any tender, said Vijender Gupta

The Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta, on Saturday alleged that the Delhi government is soon inking a pact between DTC and a private operator which involves a huge scam. The government is hiring 1000 low floor buses at scandalous rates and conditions, alleged Gupta.

Mr Gupta said, the Opposition will raise this issue in the upcoming assembly session, which is starting from Monday and demanded cancellation of the pact being made in a hush- hush and hurried manner flouting all rules and regulations.

“Transport minister, Kailash Gahlot has finalised the scheme to hire 1000 low floor buses without calling any tender from JBM Auto Limited. The government will pay ` 14,000 rent per day making payment of ` 4.20 lakh per month which comes to ` 50.4 lakh per year. Thus, the company will be paid ` 5 crores in 10 year for a bus costing ` 70 lakh. The government will pay wages of conductor, expenditure on CNG and all taxes including GST. This strange term has been accepted that DTC and JBM will be co- owners of the bus in the registration certificate. The permits shall be issued by Transport Department in the name of DTC,” alleged Mr Gupta.

Mr Gupta claimed that that JBM Auto Limited submitted proposal in June this year that there low floor CNG AC and Non AC buses are available on hiring at per kilometers basis on the rate contract of Association of State Road Transport Undertakings.

“The offer of the company was accepted without calling tenders. The small private firm having 50 buses running in Noida is being given responsibility for running 1,000 buses in Delhi. The company has no infrastructure for holding the huge responsibility. No enquiry was made from the major bus manufacturers namely Tata, Leyland, Volvo, Mahindra and Eichers. The work is being offered to a give new company without calling tender is scandalous,” said Mr Gupta.