Thiruvananthapuram: The government's E-mobility scheme's consultancy contract has been formulated in line with the existing norms, Transport Ministry clarified on Monday.
Firms empanelled by the centre may be awarded a tender without contract. There's no contract with PricewaterhouseCoopers. There's no ban against the firm either, the Transport Ministry said.
Though the fees is 80 lakhs, no amount has been transferred till date.
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said on Sunday that the government's decision to award the consultancy of the Rs-4500-crore E Moblity project to the multinational firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) without inviting tenders smacked of corruption and demanded the immediate scrapping of the deal.
The plan is to purchase 3000 electric buses for Rs 4500 crore under the E Mobility project.
KSRTC plans bus ports even as its commercial complexes have few takers
Even as many of its commercial complexes are empty and suffering losses, the Kerala Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is now going ahead with a plan to build more bus ports.
Three companies, including PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG, the consultant for the Rebuild Kerala initiative in which the Opposition alleged corruption, will prepare the detailed project reports (DPR) for the plan. The state is expected to pay Rs 6 crore for the DPRs. Ernst and Young is the third company.
The commercial complexes that the KSRTC built at Thiruvananthapuram, Angamaly, Thiruvalla and Kozhikode are running in losses. Many shops in the complexes have no occupants and are empty.
Besides, its work on commercial complexes at 25 other places are incomplete. The corporation, which is sitting on a debt of Rs1,700 crore, needs Rs 25 crore to complete the complexes.
Although the top-level officials of the KSRTC were opposed to the plan for new bus ports, the corporation appointed a committee to look into the proposal due to pressure from the state government.
The companies demanded that the KSRTC should make monthly payments of 10 per cent of the Rs 2 crore that each DPR will cost.
However, the KSRTC said it will pay 10 per cent every three months till 60 per cent of the cost is paid and that the remaining amount would be released once the DPRs have been submitted. But there has been no agreement on this payment plan.
The state government had appointed PricewaterhouseCoppers for preparing a DPR for the computerisation of the KSRTC. This was to cost Rs 2 crore. However, the KSRTC employees themselves came up with the DPR and saved the government Rs 2 crore.
The Opposition had also alleged corruption in the appointment of KPMG as consultant for the Rebuild Kerala project, announced in the wake if the floods that devastated the state in 2018.
The allegations surfaced after the consultant offered its services for free.
Bus port will allow entry to all buses, will have auto, taxi stands
The bus ports can be used by both private and KSRTC buses. Shopping malls, hotels and other facilities will be built depending on the capabilities of the ports’ locations.
There will be auto and taxi stands. The autos and taxis will have to pay the KSRTC for using the stands. Even the private buses that want to use the ports will have to pay the KSRTC.
The ports will also provide accommodation facilities for passengers.
The KSRTC is now in the process of studying ways to customise the bus ports as per the needs and available facilities and infrastructure in each district.
“The KSRTC has assets worth Rs 5,000 crore. Even as we try to figure out ways to increase our earnings from those assets, we also need to be aware of the fact that we have to repay debt,” said Biju Prabhakar, MD of KSRTC.
“The commercial complexes are running in losses because they were built without any foresight. The consultancy companies have been entrusted with the task of studying what new facilities and constructions are needed in each district to monetise the existing assets and make them profitable,” he said.
"We are still discussing the proposal, no agreement has been signed as yet,” he said.