No bidders for CNG? What about the 12 you've got, Mr Hashmi?

No bidders for CNG? What about the 12 you've got, Mr Hashmi?
SANDEEP PHUKAN

NEW DELHI, JULY 21: From `no bidders' to `no technology' -- city transport department has flogged all the excuses in the book when it comes to converting diesel buses of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) which are eight years or older to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

To drive home the government-version of the ``fact'' that there are no takers for the tenders to convert the DTC fleet of 1,842 buses -- which were taken off the road following the Supreme Court order of July 1998 -- Transport Minister Parvez Hashmi even held a press conference in the last week of June to announce the second extension of the deadline, to July 14. The original deadline was June 15 which was extended to June 30, because of what the government would have us believe is a ``poor response''.

Inquiries by Express Newsline have revealed that the poor-response theory is far from the truth: As many as 30 tender forms were sold even before the first closure date of June 15. Of these, there are 12 bidders currently in the fray to convert the grounded DTC fleet of 1,850 buses.

It has been more than a week since the last deadline of July 14 expired and the government is yet to take a decision on who to award the contract.

Meanwhile, a Delhi-based company has complained to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) about anomalies in the entire process. Acting on the complaint, sources reveal, the CVC has asked for the related documents from the DTC.

Applicants have begun pointing fingers at the government going by the manner in which the whole issue has been handled so far. Though the technical bids were opened on July 14, the DTC is yet to shortlist the firms which have been found competent. The price bids of the tender, which were given separately, were not opened when the technical bids were examined. On condition of anonymity, a bidder expressed his fears for the possibility of tampering with the price bids. ``They can easily do that,'' he said.

Sources in the DTC point out that though senior DTC officials were against an extension of the tender-deadline beyond June 30, it was extended to July 14. When contacted, V.K. Sehgal, deputy chief general manager (stores & purchase) was not available for his comment.

The Supreme Court in its July 1998 order -- banning all pre-1990 commercial vehicles from plying on the streets of Delhi if they failed to switch to CNG or any other clean fuel by March 31, 2000 -- had rendered 1,850 buses of the DTC non-operational.

The DTC had decided to call for a global tender to convert its fleet of 1,850 buses to CNG in May.