BHUBANESWAR: Days after Bhubaneswar Smart City Ltd (BSCL) ordered an inquiry into irregularities pertaining to Mo Cycle scheme, the Hero Youon that manages Hexi cycles has proposed to give back all cycles that are missing or damaged to the civic body.
A senior official from the BSCL said after lodging of FIR with Saheed Nagar police station, the firm has agreed to give back all Hexi cycles that have gone missing from Mo Cycle fleet or have been sent to scrapyard. “The representatives of the firm have assured to cooperate in this matter. Another round of meeting is scheduled on Monday where they are expected to submit a formal proposal in this regard,” the officer said.
The BSCL in its FIR had stated that around 300 Hexi cycles have gone missing and the company managing these cycles took away the cycles without seeking permission from the Smart City Ltd. The BSCL had sought Rs 75 lakh recovery amount from the firm and action against one of its employees for allegedly causing loss to the government.
The officials of Smart City Ltd also alleged that the cycles that were purchased at a hefty price of Rs 25,000 per unit was sold at Rs 500. The Hero Youon is managing around 1,000 cycles, while two other firms are looking after another 1,000 cycles under the public bicycle sharing (PBS) system of Mo Cycle launched in 2018. The firm officials couldn’t be reached for their comments in the matter.
Meanwhile, the State unit of BJP has sought action against all involved in poor management of the cycle service and alleged irregularity in procurement of Mo Cycles. BJP legal cell coordinator Jayanta Jena threatened to move the High Court seeking a transparent investigation into the issue.