MSRTC spare parts purchases are facing allegations of being priced more than 30% above market rates, with Maharashtra Opposition Leader Vijay Wadettiwar seeking an inquiry into procurement delays and local-level buying at the state transport corporation.
Wadettiwar raised the allegations in a letter dated August 11, 2026, addressed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik. He has sought a detailed investigation into the purchase of components required for the maintenance and repair of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses, according to a report by Loksatta.
The letter alleges that senior officials deliberately kept the tender process pending while allowing depots and central workshops to make purchases locally. According to Wadettiwar, the local purchases were made at rates approximately 30% higher than prevailing market prices instead of being completed through a competitive tendering process.
The allegation comes against the backdrop of MSRTC’s financial difficulties. Wadettiwar has claimed that the procurement decisions are causing a financial loss to the corporation and amount to the misuse of public money. The report does not include an independent assessment of the alleged price difference or a response from MSRTC officials, the Chief Minister’s Office or the Transport Department.
The disputed procurement process involves tenders submitted by 14 suppliers around six months ago, with an estimated financial value of approximately Rs 15 crore. Wadettiwar has alleged that the tenders were not given final approval within the expected administrative timeframe. Because of the delay, he said, the validity of the bids expired.
The central issue is whether the delay in deciding on the tenders was an administrative lapse or whether it benefited specific contractors. Wadettiwar has questioned whether the prolonged hold-up was part of a pre-planned effort to advantage selected suppliers. That claim remains an allegation and has not been established through an inquiry or official finding cited in the report.
He has demanded that senior MSRTC officials responsible for delaying the tender process be suspended and investigated. He has also called for action against contractors and officials if wrongdoing is confirmed, as well as the release of a report detailing steps already taken in the matter.
The allegations raise questions about how a financially stressed public transport undertaking manages spare-parts procurement, particularly when bus availability depends on timely maintenance. A procurement delay can affect the timing of repairs, while local purchasing outside a completed central tender can make price comparison and oversight more difficult. The supplied report, however, does not establish whether bus operations were disrupted or identify the specific spare parts involved.
The next steps sought by Wadettiwar include an examination of the tender documents, approval records, market-rate comparisons and local purchase orders. Whether the state government or MSRTC orders an independent inquiry, and whether it publishes an action-taken report, will determine how the allegations are formally assessed.
