Srinagar, Aug 19: The Jammu and Kashmir Transport Department has ordered a detailed examination of the procurement process for Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) for the Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation’s (JKRTC) BS-VI fleet. It has directed officials to produce the complete tender file and all related records before a committee in the wake of a complaint alleging irregularities in the tendering process.
In a fresh communication dated August 19, Director Finance, Transport Department, Romesh Singh, JKAS, directed the Financial Advisor and Chief Accounts Officer (CAO), JKRTC, Srinagar, to appear before his office on August 20 along with all relevant records about the DEF procurement process recently concluded through the JK Tender Portal.
The communication, issued with reference to JKRTC order no. 257-JKRTC of 2026 dated August 5, specifically seeks the complete tender and procurement file, including the Notice Inviting Tender (NIT), tender documents, technical and financial bids, bid evaluation and comparative statements, proceedings and minutes of the concerned committees, approvals of the competent authority, correspondence with participating bidders, and purchase or supply orders.
The department has also sought the Procurement Manual, General Financial Rules (GFR), relevant government orders, circulars and instructions, besides the provisions relied upon by JKRTC for determining eligibility, evaluating bids and awarding the contract. The records, according to the order, are required to facilitate a detailed examination and ascertain whether prescribed rules, procedures and government guidelines were followed at different stages of the procurement process.
The latest communication follows an earlier order issued by JKRTC on August 5, through which the corporation constituted a committee to examine the procurement process relating to the complaint received regarding supply of DEF for its BS-VI fleet.
The August 5 order stated that a complaint had been received alleging irregularities in the procurement process and that the matter required comprehensive examination to ascertain whether prescribed procedures and norms had been followed.
The committee comprises the Director Finance of the Transport Department, Joint Director SMG Srinagar and General Manager (Operations), JKRTC Srinagar. It was tasked with examining the complete procurement and tendering process, scrutinising relevant records, documents, approvals and proceedings, and submitting a report with specific findings and recommendations to the Managing Director JKRTC within five days. The committee was formed on the directions of the transport minister.
Importantly, the order also directed that no supply order be placed with the tenderer until the matter was closed. It said any immediate requirement was to be met from the open market at ASRTU rates or the after-market rate, whichever was cheaper.
The issue came to the official notice after a written complaint submitted by a Jammu based advocate Aman Thappa to the Transport Minister, alleging irregularities in JKRTC’s tender for procurement of DEF/AdBlue. The complaint alleged that Tender Reference No. 10 of 2026-27, dated May 26, 2026, had been awarded to M/s UE Autotech Pvt. Ltd at rates higher than the ASRTU-approved rates applicable during the corresponding period.
Among other allegations, the complaint claimed that the tender was initially published on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) but was subsequently withdrawn and re-published on the JK Tender Portal. The complainant alleged that this resulted in the tender being taken away from the reverse-auction mechanism available on GeM.
The complaint further alleged that only two bidders participated in the tender, questioned the award price against ASRTU benchmarks, and claimed that the higher rates could result in substantial additional expenditure for JKRTC, which it said consumes around 800,000 litres of DEF annually. It also raised concerns over the quality of DEF supplied by the selected firm to some other State Transport Undertakings. These claims are allegations contained in the complaint and have not been established by the authorities through the inquiry.
The complainant also alleged a lack of transparency in the bid evaluation process and sought examination of the role of officials in JKRTC’s Purchase and Stores (P&S) Wing. In particular, the complaint named General Manager P&S Parvez Abdullah and Manager P&S Srinagar Siraj-u-din, alleging that they had a role in the tender-related decisions. The complainant claimed to be in possession of video and audio material which, according to the complaint, could establish the alleged role of the officials and offered to produce the material before the competent inquiry or vigilance authority.
The complainant subsequently sought an independent inquiry, examination of the withdrawal of the tender from GeM, scrutiny of comparative rates and participating bidders, review of the award, quality testing of DEF supplied to JKRTC and fixation of responsibility if any procedural violations or wrongdoing were established.
The letter further added that he demanded a direct independent inquiry, through the Anti-Corruption Department of Jammu & Kashmir or an officer not connected with the original tender, into the conduct of the DEF tender process and the basis on which the award to M/s UE Autotech Pvt Ltd. was approved at rates higher than the ASRTU-approved rate.
