BHUBANESWAR: Alleging a scam in the Location Accessible Multi-modal Initiative (LAccMI) scheme aimed at establishing a seamless public transport network from panchayats to the state capital, the BJP on Wednesday said a few private companies from outside the state own the buses purchased by Odisha government under the scheme.
This should be probed by either Lokayukta or Enforcement Directorate, state BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal told mediapersons here.
Biswal said, the state government has so far purchased 1,745 buses under LAccMI scheme through a tender process floated by Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) for which more than `3,000 crore has been sanctioned. “Curiously, the state government is not the owner of the buses. The ownership of the buses is vested with a select few private transport operators from outside Odisha,” he stated.
He said private transporters are charging the state government bus fare on kilometre basis which is much higher than the slab fixed by the State Transport Authority. Despite being the owner of the buses, the government is bearing the entire operational cost while the private operators are enjoying the benefit without any investment. Since the government has paid for the buses and is also paying the fare, passengers should enjoy free rides, he said.
Either the ownership of buses could have been given to OSRTC or Mission Shakti groups. It clearly demonstrates some vested interests in the government are trying to favour some outside companies, he alleged.