Centre's panel gives clean chit on purchase of buses: Sisodia

The Centre appointed committee tasked to examine the alleged financial irregularities in procurement of buses, has given a clean chit to the Delhi government, said Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference, Sisodia said that for the last few days the BJP has been levelling false allegations against the Delhi government of financial irregularities in procurement of buses.

"The Centre's committee after examining over 3,000 documents related to the procurement of buses has found no financial irregularities. The committee's report proved that the BJP's leaders were making false claim of corruption against the AAP government."

After getting a clean chit from the committee, Sisodia accused the BJP of creating hurdle in the procurement of buses. The purchase of new buses was to increase the fleet of public transport in the national capital.

"Buses in Delhi were not procured since 2008. Previous government (Congress) did not purchase buses after 2008, after AAP came to power in Delhi, we tried to purchase buses. But the BJP tried to derail the procurement process every time. Now, the committee has made the issue clear and DTC buses will be procured soon," Sisodia added.

After the Delhi unit of the BJP had alleged financial irregularities in the procurement of 1,000 low floor DTC buses, Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal on June 16 had formed a three member panel and demanded a report in two weeks.

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, who was facing accusations from the BJP for the last few weeks, expressed his view on Twitter, "Conspiracies derail. I had always maintained that let BJP get any of our decisions probed from anywhere. The reality is that the BJP's real motive was to defame Arvind Kejriwal ji and derail the process of getting buses for Delhiites. I am happy that Delhi will get 1,000 new buses."-IANS