'AAP govt scrapped tender for low-floor buses after DTC report exposed wrongdoings'

New Delhi, Sep 13 (IANS) Amid the ongoing tussle between Delhi Lt Governor V.K. Saxena and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over several issues, including irregularities in procuring low-floor buses, the AAP on Sunday hit back at Saxena and clarified that the buses were never purchased, and the tenders were cancelled.

However, as per the available documents with IANS, a report by the then Deputy Commissioner was made highlighting the irregularities in the procurement process which recommended that DTC should scrap the tender and should call fresh bids.

Highlighting the irregularities, the report underlined, "For the abovementioned reasons, it is recommended that the DTC should scrap the tender and should call fresh bids without any delay".

"The Addl. Chief Secretary (Transport) and the Pr. Secretary (Finance) made certain queries about the manner in which the tender has been dealt by the DTC and it was specifically pointed out by the Addl. Chief Secretary (Transport) that this was one tender but the DTC is processing the same as if there are two separate tenders for the BS-IV and BS-VI buses (400 and 600) respectively and therefore the DTC needs to re-examine the tender strictly in accordance with the RFQP only and as per CVC guidelines of the same. It was also informed that complete documents of the tender have also not been supplied to the Board Members for proper examination of the agenda. In this context, the DTC later forwarded the relevant documents i.e. copy of RFQP, minutes of meeting of Procurement Committee, photocopies of the bids of Tata Motors & JBM and recommendations of consultant (DIMTS) vide its reference dated 26.11.2019, received in Transport Department vide diary No. 87639 on 26.11.2019", the report available with IANS says.

Even the file noting was also endorsed by the then Additional Chief Secretary, (Transport) but the Minister did not himself sign the file noting. Instead, the Secretary to the Minister signed the report with a noting that "the Chairman DTC/Hon'ble Minister (Transport) has seen it".

"Interestingly, the deviations from the specifications of the RFP in violation of the rules, as recommended by the Tender Committee headed by Kailash Gehlot, were already approved by the MD, DTC and the Transport Minister himself on 06.11.2019, a day before it was placed before the DTC Board for approval, i.e. on 07.11.2019", a LG office source told IANS.

"The AAP government backtracked and scrapped the tender process only after a comprehensive report by the Deputy Commissioner (DTC) exposed all the wrongdoings being carried out under the direct supervision of Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot", the official said.

"M/s TATA Motors Ltd. made a bid for 600 buses only and, therefore, its bid should have been summarily rejected. It is clear that the consultant (DIMTS) and the Tender Committee of DTC did not correctly evaluate the financial bids", the report said.

The report stated that, "This RFP/Tender process has been vitiated and the DTC must inquire into the matter and fix responsibility for the lapses".

For these reasons, it is recommended that the DTC should scrap the tender and should call fresh bids without any delay, the report said.