Despite EC nod,BEST yet to take a decision on new buses

Meanwhile,BEST committee chairman Pravin Chheda alleged that the administration didn’t bring the proposal to the committee ‘due to pressure from the Congress leadership’. “They don’t want the BJP-Shiv Sena combine to get the credit for getting the buses for the people of Mumbai,” Chheda said,adding that the proposal was to be cleared before March 31. “If the orders are placed after the election when some other party may come to power and scarp the JNNURM scheme,then only BEST will be the sufferer,” he said. BEST general manager Uttam Khobragade,however,said,“The funds won’t lapse as we have the permission from the state government.”

Meanwhile,smaller municipal transport units like Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) and Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT),who have already got the nod,have started process of placing the orders. “We have been given the permission to go ahead with the project. However,till the elections are over,we would not be allowed to accept the delivery of these buses,” said G Papalkar,general manager,NMMT. The transport unit has short-listed two companies — Volvo and Ashok Leyland — to provide them with 150 buses. Similar is the case with the TMT,which plans to buy some 200 buses under the JNNURM,and the Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Transport (KDMT),which plans to buy 150 buses.