Three transport officials suspended

The officials were placed under suspension with immediate effect following a meeting chaired by CM

Three senior officials of Delhi government's transport department were suspended on Saturday for alleged irregularities in distribution of Letters of Intent (LOI) for new autorickshaws.

The officials, identified as S Roy Biswas, deputy commissioner, Manish Puri, inspector, and Anil Yadav, upper division clerk, were placed under suspension with immediate effect following a high-level meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, at 8 am.

Later, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the matter would be handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation. "This govt can not tolerate corruption at any level," Sisodia tweeted.

"On December 23, I received some complaints about irregularities in issuance of LOIs to auto drivers at Burari Authority of Transport Department, following which I held a meeting with joint commissioner (transport) and other senior officers the next day, and issued directions to enquire into the matter,"

Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai said. Meanwhile, the CM received an SMS from some autorickshaw drivers regarding certain irregularities in distribution of LOIs on Friday evening, following which he called up Gopal Rai and came to know that the matter was already brought to his notice, said a senior government official.

The transport minister had already made preliminary enquiries in the matter and found out two types of irregularities - The LOIs were issued on pick and choose basis despite orders of the transport minister to follow chronological order, and the LOIs were being handed over to certain intermediaries/unauthorized persons instead of the beneficiaries/applicants, the official said.