Indian Express 02.06.2010
Bus purchase: PMC sanctions 47.5 crore for transport utility
Express News Service Tags : corporation, transport, bus purchase Posted: Wed Jun 02 2010, 03:15 hrs
Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) standing committee on Tuesday sanctioned Rs 47.5 crore for the purchase of 350 buses for PMPML after receiving a letter that buses with doors on the left-hand side will be purchased from the amount."A total of 550 buses has to be purchased for PMPML from the JNNURM funds. The PMC is supposed to pay for buying 350 buses from the funds and have sanctioned the amount required for the purpose to the public transport company," said Arvind Shinde, PMC standing committee chairman.
Each semi low floor bus running on CNG costs Rs 27 lakh and the civic body will pay 50 per cent of the amount as an advance to the company.
The controversy on purchase of buses was going on for months after the PMPML announced purchase of buses with doors on both sides of the bus. The elected representatives in PMC objected to the decision saying it was against the detailed project report sent to the union government.
BJP corporators even held an indefinite hunger strike in protest of the delay in purchasing buses for PMPML despite the civic body receiving funds. The state and union government had also sought clarification on delay in purchase of buses.
