Delhi minister 'ready' for jail if graft proven in bus scheme

Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai on Monday said he was "ready to go to jail" if corruption was proven in the city government's app-based premium bus service scheme. The service couldn't take off following allegations that a particular aggregator was favoured.

"No corruption took place in this scheme. I am ready to go to jail if anyone proves corruption in the app-based premium bus service," Rai told reporters here.

The Delhi government during the second phase of the odd-even scheme in April announced the premium bus service would be made operational from mid-June.

Registrations for the same were to be started on June 1. But the scheme could not be launched because Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung did not give his assent to the service and asked the transport minister to review it.

A complaint was filed with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Vijender Gupta, alleging that the city government was favouring an aggregator and no norms had been followed.

Rai said he would be visiting the ACB office on Tuesday to answer Gupta's allegations.

The city government led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is in a tiff with Lt. Governor Jung, accusing him of creating hurdles in its development plans.

--IANS

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