SHILLONG: The Urban Affairs department has invited tender inviting interested and qualified parties to operate the JNNURM buses which have been sanctioned for Meghalaya.
Officials from MUDA informed that the tenders have been called for both the new and old buses even though the Special Purpose Vehicle is yet to convene a meeting on the matter.
There are around 200 buses under the possession of the State government including the new ones which have been sanctioned. However, a large chunk of the new buses are presently lying idle at a parking place near Nongmynsong.
The new buses were used only during the 12th South Asian Games to transport athletes and officials across the different venues.
The condition of the old buses which are being operated by private parties is also not satisfactory as several buses have broken mudguards, glasses and even missing lights and body parts.
As many as 38 out of the 120 old buses are ‘beyond economical repair’.
It may be reminded that recently, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, Paul Lyngdoh, had pointed out that the cumulative loss to MUDA as to the operation of JNNURM buses ‘is huge’.
