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A crucial Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit report on the “Prevention of Air Pollution from Vehicles” is set to be presented in the Delhi Assembly on April 1. The report will be introduced by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who is also expected to discuss the findings of previous CAG reports concerning the functioning of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).
Chief Minister’s Allegations on DTC’s Losses
In a recent session, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta accused the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of mismanaging the DTC, which led to a massive financial loss. According to Gupta, DTC suffered a loss of Rs 70,471 crore under the AAP’s tenure. She pointed out that the loss was largely due to operational mismanagement, with buses operating on just 468 routes out of 814 and a reduction in the number of buses from 4,344 to 3,937. Gupta also alleged that the funds allocated to DTC were misused for advertisements rather than being invested in the company’s operations.
Issues with DTC’s Operations
Gupta further highlighted a deal involving IDFC, a DTC partner agency, which advised the Delhi government to purchase its shares. She claimed that instead of accepting the advice, the shares were sold to a private company for just Rs 10 crore, far below their worth of Rs 95 crore. “Did the government not have even 10 crores? Today, the value of DTC is only 20 crores,” she added.
Future Plans for DTC and Women’s Travel Cards
Gupta announced plans to turn DTC into a profitable and revenue-generating entity. She emphasized the issuance of free travel cards for women and stressed the importance of accurate data on how many women benefit from the scheme.
The CAG report, covering the period from 2015-2016 to 2021-2022, revealed serious irregularities in DTC’s functioning, noting mismanagement and negligence that resulted in the wastage of taxpayer money. This report has been referred to the Committee on Government Undertakings for further scrutiny. Additionally, the Transport Department and DTC have been instructed to submit an Action Taken Note to the Legislative Secretariat within the next month.
(With Inputs From ANI)
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