Indian Express 24.11.2009
Transport body’s fleet procurement process hits state govt roadblock
Out of the 650 buses the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) was to receive under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), it has received only 81.
The total cost for the procurement of the buses is approximately Rs 230 crore. Half the cost is to be borne by the ministry, while the remaining amount is to be shared by the state government and Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations. An RTI query has revealed that the state government has not released its share yet.
Convener of PMP Pravasi Manch, Jugal Rathi, said, “There has already been inordinate delay in the procurement of these buses. The state government is yet to release its funds, even though the central government had given its first share long back.”
Rathi said, “If things are pursued in a proper manner, it is not difficult for PMPML to get all the buses in a matter of couple of months. But nobody knows when the next lot of buses will come onto the roads!”
Rathi had recently filed an RTI query to know about the status of funds given to PMPML under JNNURM and PMPML's reply had revealed that only a part of the funds allotted under JNNURM had arrived and the state government was yet to release its share.
A senior PMPML official said, “Over the last few months, we have received 81 buses only. There are a number of factors responsible for the delay, including the unavailability of funds, election code of conduct, etc. We hope the state government moves fast now, which would speed up the process.”
“The public transport body has paid the money for 200 buses, out of which these 81 have been received,” the official added.
The purchase of 650 public transport buses under JNNURM had been caught in a tangle, as questions were raised about getting 200 AC buses and also, roping in private players in the process.
Divisional Commissioner Dilip Band and secretary to the Chief Minister, Nitin Kareer ,had also drawn flak for their alleged participation in the bus purchase and directing the PMPML officials by attending the meetings. However, the board of directors of the PMPML last week approved a proposal to buy these buses, which will be owned by PMPML and not by any private operator. Activists say that since there was no political will to better the public transport system soon, the induction plan was consuming a lot of time.
