The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday alleged a toll tax scam of Rs 6,000 crore in the BJP-ruled Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and demanded an investigation. The AAP said that the ruling BJP in the MCD gave a tender to a company named MEP Infrastructure Developers Ltd to collect toll tax in Delhi for five years in 2017, for a fee of Rs 1,200 crore per year. But the said company only paid the entire money in the first year, afterwards, it did not pay more than 10 or 20 per cent per year. However, the MCD rejected the claims saying the allegations made against it were baseless and without facts.
Addressing the media, AAP incharge of MCD, Durgesh Pathak claimed a toll tax scam to the tune of Rs 6,000 crore under the BJP regime in the MCD.
“The BJP gave a tender to a company named MEP Infrastructure Developers Ltd to collect toll tax in Delhi for five years in 2017 for a fee of Rs 1,200 crore per year. The company only paid the entire money in the first year, afterwards, it did not pay more than 10 or 20 per cent. The BJP-ruled civic bodies neither cancelled the contract nor took any action against the company for default in payment,” Pathak said.
“The second tender was given to another company named Sahakar Global Limited in 2021 but this time, the fee was reduced to Rs 786 crore despite an increase in toll tax and the number of vehicles in Delhi. The new company is no different from the old one, it only paid about Rs 250 crore to the MCD. After reducing the fee, they even gave a discount of Rs 83 crore to the new company. Both the companies have the same owner and managerial staff,” Pathak said, demanding a probe in this matter.
However, a senior MCD official said that in relation to the news circulating in the media about undue loss caused to the civic agency due to a collusion with the toll tax company, it is clarified by the civic body that in 2017 the contract was awarded to a company named MEP Infrastructure Developers Limited for payment of Rs 1,206 crore per annum for a period of five years. “After getting the contract, the company stated that it had suffered loss on account of the opening of the Eastern Peripheral Expressway and Western Peripheral Expressway and due to the order of the court to stop toll collection from the free lane.
“The company instead sought compensation to the loss it alleged to have suffered. The MCD held several rounds of meetings to resolve the matter and on failure of the company to make due payments, it terminated the contract. MCD also forfeited the security deposit of MEP Infrastructure Developers Ltd. At present, MCD has initiated proceedings for attachment of properties of MEP Infrastructure Developers Limited,” MCD official said.
“In 2021, the contract of toll tax was given to a company named Shahkar Global Limited for Rs 786 crore. The reserve price of tender was Rs 636 crore against which the Sahakar Global Limited bid was Rs 786 crore. Sahakar Global Limited is paying the full amount as per the contract except for the period when the Delhi Government imposed a lockdown and restricted the entry of heavy vehicles in Delhi. The remission had to be given due to an unprecedented event of imposition of lockdown by Delhi government and it is as per the provision of contract agreement,” the MCD official said.
“It may be further noted that both MEP Infrastructure Developers Limited and Sahakar Global Limited are different companies. There is no relation between the two as per records available with the MCD. The allegations made against the MCD are baseless and without facts,” MCD official concluded.