CBI to probe AAP Delhi govt for ‘irregularities’ in purchase of 1,000 low-floor buses

Delhi LG V K Saxena has approved a proposal to forward a complaint to the CBI to probe the alleged corruption in the procurement of 1,000 low-floor buses by the DTC, official sources said on Saturday.

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”

It had also claimed that the appointment of DIMTS as bid management consultant for this tender was done with an aim to facilitate wrongdoing.

The complaint had 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, the sources said. The complaint was forwarded to the Chief Secretary on July 22 to seek comments from the departments of the Delhi government and consequently their recommendations.

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. The CBI is already conducting a preliminary inquiry in the matter, they added.

Saxena 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 indicted 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, ie 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. There was no immediate reaction from the Delhi government on the matter.