NEW DELHI: A fresh Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit report on “Prevention of Air Pollution from Vehicles” is set to be presented in the Delhi Assembly on April 1. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will table the report in the House.
Recently, the assembly deliberated on another CAG audit report concerning the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), during which CM Gupta accused the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of severe financial mismanagement. She alleged that under AAP’s rule, DTC suffered a staggering loss of Rs 70,471 crore, transforming a once-profitable entity into a loss-making venture.
“There was an operational loss of Rs 14,198 crore. Despite having 814 bus routes, services were limited to just 468. Funds were diverted to advertising instead of essential infrastructure. Even Rs 233 crore received from the central government remained unutilised,” she said. She further noted that DTC’s fleet strength dwindled from 4,344 to 3,937 buses during the period under review.
Gupta also criticised the previous administration’s handling of its partnership with IDFC, a DTC partner agency. She alleged that IDFC had advised the Delhi government to purchase its shares, but the offer was ignored. “Instead, IDFC sold shares worth Rs 95 crore to a private company for just Rs 10 crore. Did the government not even have Rs 10 crore to invest? Today, DTC’s valuation stands at a mere Rs 20 crore,” she remarked.
The CM also highlighted inefficiencies in staffing, claiming that 4,000 bus drivers are currently being paid salaries despite the lack of operational buses. She announced her government’s intent to revive DTC, promising to turn it into a profitable and revenue-generating enterprise. “We will introduce free travel cards for women, but first, we need proper data on how many women actually use DTC services,” she said.