GUWAHATI, Sept 3 - Hinting at a major scam amounting to several crores of rupees in the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) from 2006 to 2015, its incumbent managing director AP Tiwari has urged the State government to conduct a vigilance inquiry into the irregularities that include illegal appointment of employees and undue monetary favour to contractors.
However, sources in the Janata Bhawan said that the State government is yet to take a call on this.
The copy of the letter accessed by this reporter also alleged that a private security agency that did not possess any valid licence was engaged without following the laid down rules to protect the ASTC assets besides maintaining law and order in the corporation�s offices, workshops and other centres.
An alleged loss of Rs 25.56 lakh to the State exchequer due to non-adherence of the stipulated precondition of realising 50 per cent of the total cost of journey from 22,687 pilgrims under the Dharmajyoti scheme implemented from 2007-08 to 2010-11 was also cited in a letter addressed to the Commissioner and Secretary of the transport department in the beginning of the year.
An undue benefit to contractors to the extent of Rs 1.28 crore for construction of the multi-level parking at Paltan Bazar at an estimated cost of Rs 9.24 crore was also observed by an audit team. The audit team vehemently objected the action of the then ASTC authority and it was reflected in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, the letter stated.
It further alleged that during the year 2010-11, the then ASTC authority allegedly extended undue benefit of Rs 30 lakh to bus body fabricator contractors by allowing higher prices against tender notice. This was also reflected in the report of the CAG.
�Irregular allocation of room/spaces in Paltan Bazar ASTC campus to various individuals including a former employee of the ASTC at throwaway prices, and that too without following the standard norm or assessing the rent, also caused major financial loss to the Corporation,� the letter said.
However, AP Tiwari could not be contacted for his comments despite repeated attempts by this newspaper.
