CM announces probe into leasing of MSRTC buses

The MSRTC buses had been leased when incumbent deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde was chief minister in the erstwhile Mahayuti government, and also held the transport portfolio.

MUMBAI: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced an inquiry into the leasing of 1,310 buses by officials of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), without the approval of the state government. “We will find out who issued the work order, within a month, and take action against those found guilty,” said Fadnavis, in the state legislative council on Wednesday.

Mumbai, India - 19 Oct. 2017: Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses parked inside Bombay Centenl depot as the ST strike continues on 3rd day, in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, Oct 19, 2017. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT) (Hindustan Times)

The MSRTC buses had been leased when incumbent deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde was chief minister in the erstwhile Mahayuti government, and also held the transport portfolio.

Congress MLC Rajesh Rathod raised the issue of alleged corruption in leasing the buses, during question hour. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab said that during the winter session of the state legislature, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde had justified the decision to lease the buses, saying there were no irregularities involved. However, within weeks, Fadnavis issued a stay on the work order and directed that the tender process be reviewed. “Whom should we trust? Is the government taking any action on the officials involved in corruption in the tender process,” asked Parab.

Replying to the questions, Fadnavis said an inquiry would be conducted and completed in a month. “I don’t know what deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde said in the house in the winter session. When I took over as CM, and in the absence of cabinet expansion, there was no portfolio distribution. We learnt that ST had issued a work order for hiring 1,310 buses and there was some irregularity. When I asked deputy chief minister Shinde, he told me that he had not given any approval for it. When it was revealed that the work order had been issued at the MSRTC level, I asked the additional chief secretary of the transport department to investigate the matter,” said Fadnavis.

“In his probe, the ACS found that due to the rates in the tender process, ST will suffer losses of around ₹1,700 crore. So I issued a stay on the process and ordered an inquiry to find out which officials had issued the work order after keeping the state government in the dark,” said Fadnavis.

The announcement is one of several instances where Fadnavis has stayed decisions taken by Shinde or Shiv Sena ministers during Shinde’s tenure as chief minister. Fadnavis had also appointed transport secretary Sanjay Sethi as chairperson of the MSRTC even though the convention was to appoint a political nominee or the transport minister himself as the head of the corporation.

However, last week, Fadnavis reversed his decision, possibly a move to mollify Shinde, who has been engaged in a bitter cold war with Fadnavis ever since he had to concede chief ministership to the latter after last year’s assembly election. Significantly, the transport department was headed by a Sena minister, with Sena legislator Bharat Gogawale heading the MSRTC in the previous government led by Shinde.

There was no response from Shinde or his party on the investigation launched by the chief minister.