Nagpur: A day after allegations surfaced over enhanced payments to Chalo Mobility Pvt Ltd under the Aapli Bus contract, Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s transport committee chairperson Mangala Khekre on Tuesday said the matter would be investigated.Khekre attributed the increase in payments to the expansion of the Aapli Bus fleet and the rise in the number of conductors. However, she did not clarify whether the transport department had secured approval from the competent authority before increasing the project cost beyond the original agreement.NMC issued a work order to Chalo Mobility on March 11, 2024, and signed a five-year contract worth Rs216.30 crore on July 11, 2024, Khekre said.The company was initially required to deploy around 1,000 conductors at Rs479 per conductor. With the fleet increasing from around 500 buses to nearly 725, the number of conductors rose to about 1,800 and the rate increased to Rs509.Monthly payments consequently rose from Rs1.88 crore to Rs2.79 crore, or Rs3.26 crore including GST.Khekre said she would seek details from the department on whether approvals were obtained, while maintaining that there was no violation of the agreement.A special audit proposed by the transport department will examine whether the enhanced payments had the necessary approvals and complied with contractual provisions.
