NEW DELHI | The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has called out the Rekha Gupta government for orchestrating a major fraud in the procurement of bicycles distributed to schoolgirls. The party revealed that the bicycles purchased and supplied as Hero Skyler 26T models are, in reality, Hero Bonfire models, even though Hero Cycles had already discontinued the Skyler model.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, AAP Delhi Chief Saurabh Bharadwaj revealed that by misrepresenting the bicycle model, the government carried out a ₹36 crore scam and asserted that Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Minister Ashish Sood are refusing to disclose the actual model because the fraud lies in the model itself.
AAP Delhi Chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “We had earlier revealed how the Delhi Government carried out a ₹90 crore scam even in the distribution of free bicycles to poor girls. We had explained how the tender was manipulated and how it was ensured that the contract would go only to their selected vendor. On the day we held that press conference, the government’s spokesperson claimed that their model was a par above and justified the purchase by saying it was an expensive model. They said each bicycle was purchased for nearly ₹7,000 and that a total of 1.3 lakh bicycles had been procured.”
He continued, “For the past few days, we have been asking the Rekha Gupta government to reveal the make and model of the bicycle. We even tagged Rekha Gupta on ‘X’ and asked which model had been purchased. But they are unwilling to disclose the model because that is where the irregularity lies. That is why they are hiding it. The item description in the bicycle work order has to mention the model, and it clearly states ‘Hero Skyler 26T’. When we contacted Hero Cycles and also spoke to bicycle wholesalers based in Jhandewalan, we were informed that Hero Cycles has discontinued the Hero Skyler 26T model. The company no longer manufactures this model.”
Referring to the specifications, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “If you search for it on Google, you will find that the Skyler model is a seven gear bicycle. It comes with seven gears, disc brakes and front wheel suspension, similar to what cars and motorcycles have. It is because of these features that one bicycle retails for around ₹7,000. Even on online platforms, its price is approximately ₹7,000. The government claims it purchased the Skyler 26T model and paid for that model. However, the bicycles being distributed by the government only carry a Skyler sticker. A total of 1.3 lakh bicycles were purchased at ₹6,957 per bicycle.”
Exposing fraud in the procurement, he asserted, “The fraud committed by the Rekha Gupta government and Ashish Sood’s ministry is that the bicycle being distributed is not a Skyler. It has no gears, no suspension and no disc brakes. Thousands of children have already received these bicycles and they continue to be distributed in schools every day, yet these are not Skyler bicycles. The question, therefore, is if this is not a Skyler, then what model is this fake Skyler? When we investigated further with Hero Cycles, we found that this government has taken fraud to another level. The model is actually called Hero Bonfire. We believe that a Skyler sticker has been pasted on a Hero Bonfire bicycle before distributing it to children.”
Presenting further details, the AAP Delhi State President added, “The Hero Cycles catalogue and photographs available on Google clearly show that this is the Hero Bonfire model. If purchased in bulk, it costs around ₹4,000 or even less. Its retail price is around ₹5,000. This Hero Bonfire bicycle has been supplied to the government for nearly ₹7,000 after putting a Skyler sticker on it. The sticker says Skyler, but there are no gears, no suspension and no disc brakes because it is not a Skyler. It is actually a Hero Bonfire. This is a fraud committed by the Delhi Government.”
He revealed, “A bicycle worth ₹4,000 has been supplied for ₹7,000, meaning a commission of ₹3,000 has been taken on every bicycle. If a ₹4,000 bicycle carries a commission of ₹3,000, that amounts to nearly a 66 per cent commission on each bicycle. That is precisely why whenever we ask Ashish Sood and Rekha Gupta about the model, they refuse to reveal it because the model itself is where the biggest irregularity lies.”
AAP Delhi Chief Saurabh Bharadwaj was joined at the press conference by MLAs Kuldeep Kumar, Vishesh Ravi, Prem Chauhan and Chaudhary Zubair Ahmad.
