400 e-buses for Gurugram stuck on paper

Procurement of at least 400 electric buses for Gurugram has been pending for over past two years due to litigation and delays in bureaucratic approvals, officials familiar with the developments said. They said that the buses were to be procured in three batches, of 100, 100 and 200, and while litigation has held up the first batch, official clearances for the second batch are awaited and a tender is yet to be floated for the third batch.

For the first batch, officials said that the central government cleared the allotment for 100 buses on November 13, 2023, and government subsidiary Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) finalised the supplier through bidding. However, the supplier accused the CESL of failing to reveal key information, following which CESL supplied a notice for cancelling the entire bid. The supplier moved the Delhi high court for a stay order, and a hearing is scheduled for April 30.

With regard to the second batch, a senior official with the Gurugram Metropolitan City Bus Limited (GMCBL) said a requirement for 100 buses was raised by the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) on March 15, 2024, with CESL. While the supplier was selected, approvals from the state government’s high-powered purchase committee (HPPC) are awaited, the official said.

“Followed by this demand, GMDA authority once again approved a proposal to procure 200 more electric buses on July 10 last year looking at the imminent need to boost the public transport network of the city and future expansion of Metro connectivity. A request letter was sent to CESL on August 16 last year for floating a tender for these buses too,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

The official said that CESL is set to float a tender soon for procuring 200 e-buses.

“The subsidy benefit of ₹22 per kilometre for a period of 12 years will be available only for the first lot of 100 buses under the PM e-bus Seva Scheme while there will be no subsidy for the next two lots as the state government is procuring it,” the GMCBL official said.

For the second batch, a final round of negotiation for the operation of buses is expected when the agenda is put up by the state transport department with the HPPC. The rate finalised in CESL tender is ₹63.5 per kilometre, which the government will pay to the supplier.

“However, further delays by officials in tabling the matter will lead to delays in the supply of buses. Due to the litigation on buses under the Centre’s scheme, nothing can be said on when the delivery will take place,” the official said.

Colonel (retd) Rameshwar Dass Singhal, general manager (mobility division), GMDA, said that while the exact date for the arrival of buses is yet to be confirmed, they are working on creating a robust infrastructure in the city to run and support these buses. “The Sector 10 depot, spread across 13 acres, will be ready to house the electric buses by June this year as a 11kV substation, along with workshop and administrative building and combined charging sockets, are almost ready there.”

“Another depot to house electric buses at Sector 48 will be ready by December this year. Construction work is already going on there in full swing. These two depots can accommodate more than 200 electric buses,” Singhal said.

He said that when the buses are delivered, GMDA and GMCBL will immediately start operations.