Senior BJP leader Vikas Mathkari flays PMPML administration for failure to ensure supply of buses under JNNURM project.
Senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Vikas Mathkari, on Friday accused the chairman and managing director and the board of directors of Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) of failing to ensure timely delivery of the 500 buses promised to Pune under the Jawaharlal Nehru National
Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
“The detailed project worth Rs206 crore was drawn up in 2009, and the buses were to be delivered in installments. The transport body had given the contract to Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland,’’ he said.
As per the agreement, Tata Motors was supposed to deliver 300 buses and Ashok Leyland was to deliver the remaining 200 buses before February this year.
However, so far, only 16 of the 500 buses were delivered, Mathkari pointed out. All the 16 vehicles were delivered by Tata Motors while Ashok
Leyland had not delivered a single bus till date.
“The agreement between the transport body and both the companies had talked about levying a heavy fine in case of late delivery of buses. But till date, no fine has been levied on either of the companies. When I asked the transport body for an explanation, none were forthcoming,’’ he said.
All the buses are supposed to be low-floor buses, with Tata Motors supposed to deliver 150 buses with doors on both sides, and the rest with doors only on right side. Leyland was supposed to deliver only left-door buses.
In response to Mathkari’s query Tata Motors had replied that the buses are awaiting joint inspection by PMPML authorities and engineers of the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT), Bhosari. Also, the prototype of Ashok Leyland is to be sanctioned before the production of the buses can start. Mathkari pointed out that Puneites will have to wait for six months to see those buses on the roads.
“While the mayors and municipal commissioners of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) are on the board of directors of PMPML, they have not raised any questions regarding this. This is a public shame and a cause of grave concern,’’ he added.
He also pointed a finger at the ruling coalition of the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress for not doing enough to solve the problem.
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