Mumbai: The Congress has alleged that the firm contracted for towing vehicles found violating parking rules in the city is being aided by an IAS officer in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). Vidarbha Infotech Ltd. is under the scanner after the traffic police used its services to tow away a car while a woman and her infant were allegedly sitting in it.
The Opposition is claiming the firm is being favoured as it is based in CM Devendra Fadnavis’s hometown, Nagpur. Recently, Mr. Fadnavis’s Officer on Special Duty was accused of ‘helping’ an IT company handling online work for the farm loan waiver scheme.
City Congress president Sanjay Nirupam claimed Vidarbha Infotech specialises in computer hardware, software and programming, but had no experience in towing vehicles when it was awarded the contract by the Mumbai Traffic Police. “Prashant Ugemuge, the firm’s owner, and Pravin Darade, an IAS officer in the CMO and MMRDA, are said to be close. This is evident from the fact that this company has been awarded several contracts after Mr. Fadnavis became CM.”
Mr. Nirupam also claimed that the company has been given more than 1,000 sq. ft. of space for no cost at the Worli traffic police office. “The towing rates have been increased by 430% from ₹100-150 to ₹660 for four-wheelers and to ₹426 for two-wheelers. “Of this, the government gets only ₹200. The firm gets ₹400 while the GST levied is ₹60. For two-wheelers, the government and the company get ₹200 each, while GST is ₹26. Why were these rates increased?”
No wrongdoing: CMO
In a clarification issued on Friday, the CMO denied any discrepancy in awarding the towing contract to Vidarbha Infotech. It said the tendering process was done by Traffic Department officers at the level of Joint Commissioner of Police, and KPMG, the technical consultant, had prepared the Request for Proposal (RFP) for a state-of-the-art hydraulic crane. “Based on that, the e-tendering process was conducted, and since the said company had the lowest bid, it was awarded the contract for seven years on May 27, 2016,” the CMO statement said.
The Maharashtra Towing Owners’ Association and others have filed a petition in the Bombay High Court challenging the contract awarded to Vidarbha Infotech. The statement said the government has sought a report from the Mumbai Commissioner of Police, and will present its side in court.
