Delhi Government Embroiled in Rs 90 Crore Bicycle Procurement Scam Allegation
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the Delhi government of perpetrating a massive corruption scam worth Rs 90 crore in the procurement of bicycles for schoolgirls. The party’s Delhi President, Saurabh Bhardwaj, made the allegations at a press conference on Sunday.
Tender Conditions Framed to Favor Pre-Selected Company
According to Bhardwaj, the tender conditions were deliberately framed to favor a pre-selected company, which ultimately received the contract. He claimed that the tender conditions were tailor-made to ensure that only a chosen contractor or vendor would receive the contract. “Just as the ACB FIR in the health matter says that the tender conditions were tailor-made to ensure that only a chosen contractor or vendor would receive the contract, exactly the same allegations are now being made regarding this bicycle procurement tender,” Bhardwaj said.
Price Discrepancy and Turnover Eligibility Issues
Bhardwaj pointed out that several companies, including SK Bikes, World MSME Forum, and others, had submitted written complaints to the Vigilance Commission, the Lieutenant Governor (LG), and the Chief Minister, highlighting price discrepancies and turnover eligibility issues. He quoted SK Bikes’ complaint, which stated that the bicycle matching the specifications mentioned in the tender was available in the market for ₹4,100, yet the tender fixed its price at ₹6,923. This price discrepancy was allegedly done to favor a pre-selected company.
Turnover Eligibility ‘Deliberately Increased’ to Exclude Firms
Bhardwaj further alleged that the turnover eligibility for participating companies was deliberately increased to ₹360 crore, making it impossible for other companies to qualify. He cited examples from BJP-ruled states, where the turnover eligibility was much lower. “Rajasthan floated a tender for 3.70 lakh bicycles but required a turnover of only ₹150 crore. Chhattisgarh floated a tender for 1,60,000 bicycles and required a turnover of ₹90 crore. Delhi intended to procure fewer bicycles, yet instead of asking for a turnover of around ₹150 crore, it demanded ₹360 crore, which is completely against CVC guidelines,” Bhardwaj said.
CVC Guidelines Violated, No Pre-Bid Meeting Held
Bhardwaj highlighted that the tender process violated CVC guidelines, as no pre-bid meeting was held. He revealed that the pre-bid meeting is a normal process where all prospective bidders sit with government officials before bids are submitted. In this case, the government deliberately chose not to hold any pre-bid meeting, which resulted in the letters sent by companies willing to supply bicycles at ₹4,100 being ignored.
AAP Demands Action
The AAP Delhi Chief demanded action against those responsible for the alleged scam. “Their ministers speak a lot. They must be asked whether they have anything to say about this as well, or whether, in this case too, the government will tear into some officer and then circulate that officer’s photograph on Twitter, claiming that this is the person who pocketed from ₹90 crore scam,” Bhardwaj said.