Auto-rickshaw licensing scam: AAP govt suspends three transport department officials

The officials -- identified as S Roy Biswas, Deputy Commissioner, Manish Puri, Inspector, and Anil Yadav, UDC -- have been placed under suspension.

New Delhi: Three senior officials of Delhi Government's Transport Department were suspended on Saturday for alleged irregularities in distribution of Letters of Intent for new autorickshaws.

The officials -- identified as S Roy Biswas, Deputy Commissioner, Manish Puri, Inspector, and Anil Yadav, UDC -- were placed under suspension with immediate effect following a high-level meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, at 8 AM.

Later, deputy CM Manish Sisodia said the matter would be handed over to CBI. "The matter would be handed over to CBI. This govt can not tolerate corruption at any level," Sisodia tweeted.

"On December 23, I received some complaints about irregularities in issuance of Letter of Intents (LOIs) to auto drivers at Burari Authority of Transport Department, following which I held a meeting with Joint Commissioner (Transport) and other senior officers in the next day, and issued directions to enquire into the matter," Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister received an SMS from some autorickshaw drivers regarding certain irregularities in distribution of Letters of Intent yesterday evening, following which he called up Gopal Rai and came to know that the matter was already brought to his notice, said a senior government official.

The Transport Minister had already made preliminary enquiries in the matter and found out two types of irregularities -- The LOIs were issued on pick and choose basis despite orders of the Transport Minister to follow chronological order and that the LOIs were being handed over to certain intermediaries/unauthorized persons instead of the beneficiaries/applicants, the official said.

Following the aforementioned developments, the Chief Minister convened a meeting with his cabinet ministers and senior government officials today, leading to the suspension of the three officials, scrapping of all 932 LOIs issued by the transport department till date and putting on hold the exercise of issuing LOIs, said the official.

"The matter has been referred to Vigilance Department of Government of NCTD for further enquiry. The matter will be referred to CBI for investigation if so warranted on the basis of report of Vigilance Department," he added.