The Kejriwal government on Tuesday decided to constitute an independent commission of inquiry to probe the Rs 100-crore CNG fitness scam in which three top officials of the Dikshit government are unde
The Kejriwal government on Tuesday decided to constitute an independent commission of inquiry to probe the Rs 100-crore CNG fitness scam in which three top officials of the Dikshit government are under the scanner. The commission will be headed by Justice S.N. Agarwal, a retired Delhi high court judge, and its terms of reference would be announced soon.
The decision to this effect was taken by the Delhi Cabinet chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. The scam is already being probed by the anti-corruption branch (ACB).
A senior government official said the Delhi Cabinet decided to set up the commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, to probe into all aspects of the award of work related to what is commonly known as CNG fitness mega-scam in the transport department.
“The inquiry commission will look into all the investigations and developments that have taken place so far in this case, including wrongful denials of sanctions to prosecute guilty officials and dereliction of duty in taking action against those involved in the scam.”
The official said the terms of reference and conditions of the commission will be finalised soon. “It is desired that the commission completes its probe within three months from the date of its first sitting.”
The AAP government decision follows largescale complaints that deliberate attempts have been made to hush-up the mega-scam in which there are allegations of more than '100 crore loss to the state exchequer. “It has been brought to the notice of the government that two probe agencies — Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the anti-corruption branch (ACB), separately found sufficient evidence to proceed against several serving and retired officials of the Delhi government.”
It has been further brought to the notice of the Kejriwal government that the CBI had last year recommended to the Union home ministry and the department of personnel and training (DoPT) to take appropriate action against the officers involved in the scam. “Allegations pertain to fraudulent allotment of contract for inspection and certification of commercial vehicles for obtaining fitness certificates to ESP India Pvt Ltd through preparation of forged papers to allow it huge pecuniary gains,” the official added. The anti-corruption branch reopened its probe into the multi-crore scam om June.
The scandal surfaced in 2012 when the ACB found that the then Delhi government had suffered a loss of over '100 crore in awarding the contract to operate and maintain certification of CNG vehicles at the transport authority in Burari to ESP India Pvt Ltd instead of ESP USA.
The AAP had in December raked up the issue of the CNG fitness scam of 2002 and attacked the “continuing silence” of the Central government and lieutenant-governor Jung on the alleged indictment of top bureaucrats in the city government by the CBI.
