Noida authority orders probe on issuing of parking tenders

NOIDA: The Noida authority said it has initiated an inquiry into the allegations of corruption in the process of awarding tenders for surface parking lots across the city. The authority has initiated a probe and also put the tendering process on hold for the time being, officials said on Tuesday.

There are allegations of corruption in the selection of contractors who were to be given the task of running the surface parking lots in different sectors of the city. It has been alleged that the engineers concerned modified the eligibility criteria so that the tenders suited a few contractors whose track records were not up to the mark.

The complaints were filed earlier this month when some contractors alleged that officials who were involved in the selection of contractors had tweaked the rules and were resorting to favouritism.

The authority had first in November and later in December last year issued tenders to select contractors for managing the parking sites. But when contractors did not evince interest, they issued tenders for the third time in January this year and tweaked the terms of the tender, the complainants said.

The Noida authority has allowed roadside parking lots in sectors 14A, 15, Film City, Mahamaya flyover, sectors 36, 25, 26, 20, 81, 91, 92, 93, 101, 108, 110, 22, 23, 24, 30, 35, 52, 53, 54, 57, 66, 67, 68, 70 and 71, among other areas.

Chief executive officer Ritu Maheshwari formed a three-member committee headed by additional chief executive officer Manvendra Singh to probe into the allegations in the next 15 days, said officials. Other panel members are Prabhas Kumar, additional CEO and financial controller Swatantra Kumar, officials added.

“We will probe in accordance with the rules and submit the report to the CEO,” said Kumar. The three-member committee is likely to meet on Wednesday in the Sector 6 office to initiate the probe, officials said.

The Noida authority earns 13 crore annually by allowing parking contracts across the city.