Govt defends Dahod locomotive deal

New Delhi: Amid allegations levelled by the Indian National Congress regarding the production of 9,000 horsepower electric locomotives at the Dahod facility in Gujarat, the Ministry of Railways on Monday strongly defended the integrity and transparency of the procurement process.

The Congress party, during a press conference, raised concerns about the fairness and conduct of the tender process. In response, the Railways have issued a detailed clarification asserting that the entire tender was conducted in line with the highest standards of public procurement norms.

According to the Ministry, the global tender process for manufacturing and maintaining the high-horsepower electric locomotives was executed with complete transparency, involving no deviation from standard procedures.

The bidding attracted participation from Alstom and Siemens—the only two global players with the technical capability to deliver locomotives of this scale. Both companies were deemed technically qualified during the rigorous evaluation stage. The financial bid determined the final outcome, with the contract awarded to the lowest bidder.