Days after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged corruption in MCD toll tax collection, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia Wednesday wrote a letter to Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena demanding Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the alleged scam, which led to a revenue loss of Rs 6,000 crore to the government’s exchequer.
The deputy CM in his letter said that about 10 lakh commercial vehicles from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other neighbouring cities enter the national capital via 124 different routes. “These commercial vehicles such as tempos, lorries and trucks are allowed inside Delhi after they pay toll tax ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 1,200,” he said.
The letter further read that the MCD awarded a tender to a private company in 2017 for the collection of toll tax and ads per the contract, and the company had to pay Rs 1,200 crore to the MCD every year.
“The company has paid the full amount to MCD in the first year, but ever since, in connivance with MCD, they stopped giving the collected tax to the civic agency. The corporation, which should have cancelled the tender, blacklisted the company and issued a tender to a new company, has done nothing for the last four years,” said Sisodia.
He has also alleged that in 2021, the MCD awarded a tender to the sister organisation of the previous company for a very less amount. “The company was given relaxation of Rs 83 crore on account of the pandemic,” said Sisodia.
