Will examine ‘faulty’ e-rickshaws for people with special needs: Maharashtra govt body to Bombay High Court

The petitioners accused the Maharashtra State Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation of providing defective e-vehicles and requested an independent investigation into the procurement process.

he court directed a technical review and scheduled the next hearing for November 19.The Maharashtra government assured the Bombay High Court it will inspect e-rickshaws distributed to disabled persons after complaints of defects.

The Maharashtra government last week assured the Bombay High Court it will examine electric rickshaws provided to people with special needs through its Maharashtra State Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation in light of a plea seeking a probe into the scheme for providing over 80 faulty vehicles to beneficiaries.

A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Sandesh D Patil, on October 15, heard a petition filed by around 115 people with disabilities from different regions of Maharashtra. The petitioners sought a directive to the Social Justice Department, the Department of Disability Welfare, and the Maharashtra State Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation to replace defective electric vehicles provided under a government scheme with “safe and operational alternatives”.

The petition further requested an independent probe into the approval process and alleged discrepancies between the government’s procurement prices and the prevailing market rates of the e-rickshaws.

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Represented by advocates Asim Sarode and Shriya Awale, the petitioners argued that forcing them to continue using “defective vehicles” amounted to a violation of their fundamental rights as beneficiaries of the state initiative.

800 e-vehicles distributed at a cost of Rs 20 crore

Sarode informed the court that the scheme originated from a government resolution (GR) issued by the Social Justice Department on June 10, 2019, titled ‘Regarding provision of Green Energy-Powered Environment-friendly Mobile Shop (Mobile Shop on E-Vehicle) for Disabled Persons to become Self-Reliant’. Under this programme, approximately 800 e-vehicles were distributed at a cost of over Rs 20 crore.

The petitioners contended that many of the e-vehicles allotted to them suffered from various technical flaws and were of substandard quality, urging that these be replaced with better-built, roadworthy vehicles.

The court on October 3 found ‘substance’ in the petitioners’ submissions.

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On October 15, the lawyer for the company Mac Auto India assured the court that it will address all the grievances not only of the 115 petitioners, but also of all such allottees to whom e-rickshaws have been allotted.

Additional Government Pleader Bhupesh V Samant for the state also assured the court that the Corporation will appoint a person having technical knowledge in various districts to examine the e-rickshaws not only of the 115 petitioners, but also of other allottees to whom e-rickshaws have been allotted. AGP Samant sought time to also file a report after examination of the said rickshaws.

The HC posted further hearing to November 19 to enable the Corporation to check the vehicles and appoint a technical person. The court also asked the Maharashtra government, through the relevant department, to extend all possible assistance, including deputing a person with technical know-how, for examining the e-vehicles.

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