“No corruption took place in this scheme. I am ready to go to jail if anyone proves corruption in the app-based premium bus service,” Rai told reporters here. The Delhi government during the second phase of the odd-even scheme in April announced the premium bus service would be made operational from mid-June.
Registrations for the same were to be started on June 1. But the scheme could not be launched because Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung did not give his assent to the service and asked the transport minister to review it.
A complaint was filed with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Vijender Gupta, alleging that the city government was favouring an aggregator and no norms had been followed. Rai said he would be visiting the ACB office on Tuesday to answer Gupta’s allegations. The city government led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is in a tiff with LG Najeeb Jung, accusing him of creating hurdles in its development plans. Rai said on Monday: “Modi, the Centre and the ACB are paralysing governance and policy by levying allegations of corruption against the Transport Department. They have been harassing my officers, calling them for questioning and grilling them on policy formulation. We will not allow this,” Rai said on Monday.
“How can they allege corruption when there has been no exchange of money in the scheme yet. It is only on paper. Then where is the corruption? Show me the corruption?” he added. Rai further alleged that Opposition leader and BJP MLA Vijender Gupta’s complaint to the ACB earlier this month about a whiff of corruption in the app-based bus service was planned in connivance with LG Najeeb Jung.
He said he formulated and announced on May 1 the premium bus service for a pollution-free Delhi after extensive consultations with experts, CM Arvind Kejriwal and his officers. The scheme was publicly notified later that month. We furnished the notification to the LG when he called for it. Jung had reservations the scheme was shelved late in May, Rai narrated.
Rai added, two days later Vijender Gupta went ahead and filed a complaint with the ACB. “Why such a late reaction? Why is all this rushed action a month after the plan was formulated?” Rai asked.
“I am going to the ACB tomorrow (Tuesday) at 12 pm with all the requisite files and information though the ACB hasn’t sent for me. I want to ask them where they have got information on corruption in the bus scheme when it hasn’t been rolled out yet? It’s only on paper,” Rai said.
“If they can prove even Re 1 worth of corruption in the scheme, I am ready to go to Tihar jail,” he added.
Rai also, for the first time, publicly said he requested Kejriwal to relieve him of his duties as Transport Minister and reduce the work load because doctors advised him three months of continuous treatment after he was operated upon for a bullet lodged in his back last month. “I have been unwell of late. I am working out of my hospital room,” he said.