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Mukhi accuses Maken of corruption

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI AUG. 19. The Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Jagdish Mukhi, today once again accused the Transport Minister, Ajay Maken, of imposing a ban on the registration of autorickshaws manufactured by Scooters India Limited and Kerala Electronics Limited for pecuniary interest and favouring the leading auto manufacturing giant Bajaj Auto Limited.

At a Press conference here, Mr. Mukhi reiterated his charge that all this drama was enacted with the sole motive of benefiting Bajaj Auto Limited as Mr. Maken had a monetary interest in the whole deal. The ban, he said, was continuing despite the Mashelkar Committee, Parliamentary Standing Committee, Auto Research Association of India, Central Pollution Control Board and Union Ministry of Heavy Industries writing to the Delhi Government, asking it to withdraw the ban.

Similarly, he said, the Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Heavy Industry Department, which has representatives of all political parties, in its 72nd report, has unanimously recommended that the ban imposed by the Transport Department of the Delhi Government on registration of two-stroke autorickshaws running on dedicated CNG mode should be lifted immediately and registration restored. Warning further, Mr. Mukhi said if the ban is not lifted immediately, he would be forced to approach the Lieutenant-Governor, seeking quashing of this order.

Responding to the charges, Mr. Maken charged Mr. Mukhi with acting at the behest of private distributors of Scooters India Limited whose interests were involved in this whole issue. He said the registration of four-stroke autorickshaws was banned in January this year. When there is a ban on registration of four-stroke autorickshaws how can the ban on two-stroke autorickshaws be lifted, he asked. If Mr. Mukhi suspects corruption, he should approach the Lok Ayukta and file an affidavit in this regard, he said.

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