Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken on Saturday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government of Rs 750 crore scam as the party is planning to purchase 1,000 electric buses at the cost of Rs 2.50 crore per bus whereas the “Department of Heavy Industries” has benchmarked the capital costs of these buses ranging from Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1.75 crore.
Citing a “status of fund report”, the Delhi Government filed in the apex court and a report of the EPCA, Congress’s Delhi unit chief Maken alleged the Government presented wrong facts in the court that it had been given Rs 40 crore under a Central scheme to purchase 40 electric buses.
Maken claimed that a 12-metre AC bus costs Rs 1.75 and the Government in its report filed in the court said each low-floor electric bus costs Rs 2.5 crore, which is the “inflated” price. Thus, there is a scam of Rs 750 crore in the purchase of 1,000 such e-buses, he alleged. The AAP’s Chief apokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said the charges levelled by Maken were “frivolous”.
Bhardwaj said the price cited by Maken was “estimated cost”. “The Government will float a global tender and any company can come ahead,” he said.
The Delhi Government had earlier this week told the Supreme Court that the council of Ministers had given “in-principle approval” for procurement of 1,000 low-floor electric buses, which are expected to arrive June-July 2019 onwards.