New Delhi: A proposal to forward a complaint to the CBI into alleged “irregularities” in purchase of 1,000 low-floor buses by the Delhi Transport Corporation was approved by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, an official said on Saturday, reported news agency PTI. A complaint addressed to Saxena in June this year had highlighted the appointment of the Minister of Transport as the chairman of the committee for tendering and procurement of buses by DTC in a “premeditated manner”.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government refuted the claim saying that the buses were never bought, reported ABP News. As per the report, the AAP governmnent said that the tender to purchase those buses were cancelled so no bus was bought.
The complainant also claimed that the appointment of Delhi Integrated Multi Modal Transit System Limited (DIMTS) as bid management consultant for this tender was done with an aim to facilitate wrongdoing.
As per the report citing its sources, a complaint was made into alleged irregularities in a July 2019 procurement bid for 1,000 low floor BS-IV and BS-VI buses, and another bid made in March 2020 for the purchase and annual maintenance contract for low-floor BS-VI buses,
On July 22, the complaint was forwarded to the Chief Secretary to seek comments from the departments of the Delhi government and consequently their recommendations.
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The report, which was submitted by the Chief Secretary on August 19, had pointed out certain “irregularities”, following which Saxena has now forwarded the complaint to the CBI, they said.
A preliminary enquiry is already being conducted by the federal probe agency into the matter, the officials told the news agency.
The LG has approved the clubbing of the current complaint with the complaint already being inquired into by the central probe agency.
A committee headed by retired IAS officer OP Aggrawal (retd) constituted to look into the charges of corruption in the procurement of buses in June 2021, in its report submitted in August 2021, had clearly indicated the AAP government for “procedural deviations in the entire tendering and procurement procedure”, the sources said.
"Criminal misconduct by public servants in this tender exercise will be ascertained by the investigating agency, that is the CBI.
"On the basis of this, the Chief Secretary recommended to refer the matter to the CBI, which was approved by the LG," said a source.
The development comes close to heels of allegations into irregularities in implementation of the excise policy in the national capital by the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government which is also being probed by the CBI. The investigation agency had raided several location related to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia who has been named in the FIR lodged in connection with the matter.