Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) VK Saxena has approved a proposal to forward a complaint to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), seeking a probe into alleged irregularities in the procurement of 1,000 low-floor buses by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), according to news agency PTI.

The complaint, filed by the Chief Secretary of the DTC on June 9, comes as a major setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government in the national capital.

Responding to the move, AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed the CBI had registered a preliminary inquiry and the agency could not find anything a year ago.

LG रोज़ कोई पुराना मामला उठाकर Delhi Govt पर हमला करते हैं जबकि LG पर ख़ुद 3 गंभीर आरोप हैं

1️⃣Notebandi में पुराने नोटों को बदलवाने2️⃣KVIC Chairman रहते बेटी को ठेका देने3️⃣HC Order के बाद भी कारीगरों को Cash में भुगतान करनेLG ख़ुद जांच से भाग जाते हैं-@Saurabh_MLAgk pic.twitter.com/IDrp16N8pO— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) September 11, 2022

This is not the first time that there has been a dispute between the Delhi government and the Union Territory's Lieutenant Governor. Before this, the two were at loggerheads over the Delhi government's excise policy. Manish Sisodia was accused of corruption.

Here's a look at the latest matter in detail:

What does the complaint say?

The complaint stated that the appointment of the Minister of Transport as the Chairman of the Committee for tendering and procurement of buses by DTC was done in a "pre-mediated manner", news agency ANI reported.

It also mentioned 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. It alleged irregularities in both these deals, news agency PTI reported citing sources.

The same discrepancies were clearly brought out in a report by the DTC Deputy Commissioner.

The complaint was forwarded to the Chief Secretary on July 22, and then submitted to the L-G on August 19, after certain irregularities were found.

Discrepancies in the document

The discrepancy mentioned in the document read, "The DTC had floated the tender...for procurement of 1000 buses and it was a single tender for supply of 1000 BS-IV or latest buses. In the pre-bid, the quantity of 1000 buses was bifurcated into 400 BS-IV buses and 600 BS-VI buses, but the tender still remained one only and the bidders could have made the bid for the entire quantity of these buses of both types."

Another irregularity mentioned was: "M/s TATA Motors Ltd made a bid for 600 buses only. At the same time, JBM made a bid for 1000 buses (400 BS-IV and 600 BS-VI) at a rate higher than Tata Motors. In effect, JBM became the single bidder and therefore, the tender should have been rejected and a fresh tender should have been called by the Tender Committee."

"However, the bidding consultant (DIMTS) and the Tender Committee of DTC did not correctly evaluate the financial bids. The Committee declared M/S TATA Motors Ltd eligible for the bid of 600 BS-VI buses," it said.

According to the report, the DTC had then invited M/s JBM for negotiation for BS-IV buses on the basis of rates of Tata which never made any bid for this category.

The DTC's actions were alleged without any justification and the price negotiation with M/s JBM was said to be violative of General Financial Rules (GFRs) and Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) guidelines.

Besides, there was a specific requirement of front-facing seats in the request for proposal (RFP) but both the consultant and DTC Tender Committee did not reject JBM's bid for want of this condition.

According to the report by the Chief Secretary, the Committee, in its report submitted in August 2021, clearly indicted the AAP government for "procedural deviations in the entire tendering and procurement procedure".

"Criminal misconduct by public servants in this tender exercise will be ascertained by the investigating agency, i.e. the CBI," it said.

How AAP reacted

In response to the CBI investigation, the AAP said, "These buses were never purchased and tenders were cancelled." Hitting out at L-G VK Saxena, the party said that Delhi needs a more educated L-G.

"This man has no clue what he is signing on," it said.

The AAP also alleged that the L-G is facing many serious allegations of corruption. "To divert attention, he is making such inquiries. All inquiries so far have yielded no results," the party said.

It added that after making frivolous complaints against three ministers (CM Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Kumar Jain), the L-G has now made a complaint against the fourth minister. "He should first respond to the allegations of corruption against him," the AAP said.

(With agency inputs)

(Edited by : Akriti Anand)