Delhi transporters ask Kejriwal to investigate DIMTS projects

A section of transporters operating in Delhi have asked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to investigate the work done by DIMTS, which operates projects including the controversial Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor.
These transport companies are of the view that the new government should take a re-look at the projects awarded to DIMTS (Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System), an equal equity joint venture of NCT government and IDFC Foundation.
"We have requested the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to take immediate steps in this regard and order a probe by CBI or an appropriate investigating agency to conduct a thorough investigation and to ensure further that such actions of DIMTS are dealt appropriately," they said.

DIMTS is not doing projects on their own, they are "sub-letting" it to the contractors, giving work "without any proper price quotation", an official of one of the transport companies said here.
Reacting to the allegations, a DIMTS spokesperson told PTI: "Certain functions of some our projects have been outsourced like any other organisation or the government. We do it after all the due diligence and at the same time we are supervising all the aspects of the projects."
The BRT corridor project in South Delhi has faced flak since its inception. In a report last year, the Central Road Research Institute favoured dismantling it.

Demanding a critical examination of DIMTS projects, the transporters stated that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) last year had said a thorough scrutiny of all the records of the work done by DIMTS should be there.

The transporters include Confiscan India Pvt Ltd (Delhi), Navitech Data Solutions (Noida), Maple Imaging Solutions (Chennai), Datatec Methodex (Noida), Virgo Softech Ltd (Delhi).
Since DIMTS' incorporation in April 2006, the transporters alleged that the state's transportation department has extended undue favouritism towards the entity.
"The Department of Transportation (DOT) has favoured DIMTS as the default consultant in its future projects never exploring other opportunities and possibilities, nor did they go for open bidding to have better terms in favour of the public," the transporters claimed.

They also claimed DIMTS suo motu had submitted an offer to the transportation department for implementing the driving licence project in Delhi at a rate of Rs 300 per smartcard-based permit.
Other much larger and well established IT services companies who were already implementing such similar projects in other states and have useful prior experience gave offers to the transportation department at rates lower than Rs 300, they added.