The Shiv Sena joined hands with Congress to reject a bid by Reliance Industries to supply high speed diesel (HSD) for three years to BEST. The proposal was to supply 12,000 kilolitres per annum of HSD oil to BEST buses in Backbay and Worli bus depots for three consecutive years at the cost of ₹71 crore per annum.
RIL submitted lowest rates compared to government agencies like Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited. BEST depots need 31,400 kilolitres of HSD every year. The BEST administration said they had invited established private players like RIL and Essar Oil and Gas to bid on an experimental basis to get “best possible price benefits”. Earlier, BEST would directly buy the oil from the government oil companies without inviting private bids. Though RIL does supply HSD to bodies like South Central Railway, Central Railway and Pune’s transport body, it was considered new supplier as it has never supplied to the BEST so far.
The BJP supported giving the contract to RIL, citing lower costs would help BEST tide its current fiscal crisis. Sunil Ganacharya from the BJP said “there were enough checks in place for quality control and lack of experience should not be held against the RIL.” However, the Shiv Sena opposed the move.
