Scam, cries Janani Express Operators Association
BHOPAL: The Janani Express Operators’ Association is up in arms against centralised operation of the Janani Express service. It alleges that this was a scam which would help the selected operator to make Rs 300 crore per annum without any effort.
The president of the association Deepak Dalmiya informed that around 950 Janani Express (JE) vehicles are operational in the state. The National Health Mission (NHM) has now given the contract to ZHL company to operate the service.
The contract has given at the rate of Rs 16.90 per kilometre and the company will run 735 JEs. Till now, the operators were being paid Rs 10 per kilometre.
Interestingly the company has floated tenders seeking vehicles for hire at Rs 8.50 per kilometre. Clearly, if the vehicles are operated for Rs 8.50 per km, the remaining amount will going into the pocket of the company.
It is alleged that in some states like Rajasthan, Kerala the CBI is conducting enquiry against the company. The company will conduct the operations and monitor and assess them and no government agency will have the power to direct it. The government has already give Rs 10 crores for the operations of the company.
Earlier the BMO, BPM, BCM and other government health staff verified the operation of the JE vehicles but they would no longer be empowered to do it.
Importantly, if the agency shut down its operations, it will become a huge problem for the government. Earlier if the operator of a district stopped operations, vehicles from neighbouring districts shared the operational responsibility because the JE contract was given by the district administrations.
The association had filed a case in the Indore bench of HC and the court had stayed the tendering process. But the state government went ahead with the process and now a contempt of court case has been filed in the court against the government.
The association will stage dharnas at district headquarters to protest the government decision.
