Transport Department officials involved in auto scam: BJP

NEW DELHI: Delhi BJP today accused "involvement" of Transport Department officials in an alleged scam in which ownership of hundreds of 15-year-old CNG autos were transferred flouting rules and fresh permits were issued in "connivance" with middlemen.

"Coming close on the heels of auto permit scam, this new scam involved issuing of about 1,000 auto permits by transfer of ownership of CNG autos which had completed 15 year life span," Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said.

He said BJP legislators would meet Lt Governor Najeeb Jung and seek a CBI inquiry into the "scams" in the Transport Department of Delhi government.

"Under this scam, papers of CNG autos completing 15 years were procured by middlemen paying around Rs 20-25 thousand. These papers were then used to transfer ownership and issue various documents including Letter of Intent (LoI) through manipulation of computer data in connivance with Transport Department officials.

"These LoI with changed ownership were then sold by the middlemen charging money in the range of Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh," he said.

Gupta demanded that the Delhi government call a special session of the Assembly to discuss the issue.

Accusing the Delhi government of trying to "suppress" the auto permit "scam", Gupta claimed that an independent enquiry will also disclose "involvement" of AAP minister and MLAs in it.