Punjab Transport Minister Refutes Allegations of Irregularities in Leasing of Ludhiana Bus Stand
Appealing to the public to refrain from believing or spreading “unfounded news,” Bhullar said such reports were baseless and misleading.
Punjab Transport Minister Refutes Allegations of Irregularities in Leasing of Ludhiana Bus Stand
Chandigarh: Punjab Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar has refuted allegations of bias or irregularities in the leasing of different parts of the Ludhiana Bus Stand, clarifying that the facility was earlier leased out “as a whole” before December 10, 2021, while now, different sections of the premises have been leased separately, according to an official press release.
The minister stated that the same policy had been followed by previous governments, and similar leasing arrangements have also been made for other bus stands across the state.
Appealing to the public to refrain from believing or spreading “unfounded news,” Bhullar said such reports were baseless and misleading.
He explained that the construction of the Ludhiana Bus Stand was carried out by Wellsampan Company in 2006 on a BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer) basis. The company operated the bus stand until 2016. Subsequently, in 2018, the stand was handed over to Messrs LRY Company on a MOT (Maintain, Operate and Transfer) basis.
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Messrs LRY Company failed to deposit the concession fee with the department, leading to the suspension of the agreement. Since December 10, 2021, the maintenance of the Ludhiana Bus Stand has been handled by Punbus at its own level, the minister added.
“The collection of the fee of this bus stand is also done by the department at its own level. To collect this bus stand fee, 15 employees (conductors-sub-inspectors) were deployed by the depot at different points of the bus stand. The bus stand fee was collected daily by these employees and the expenses of salary and stationery etc. of these employees were also borne by the department itself,” Bhullar said.
He further informed that, as per the orders of the head office, online e-auctions were conducted eight times by the depot for outsourcing the collection of bus stand fees.
In the e-auction held on August 1, 2025, four bidders participated, with Arjun Yadav & Company emerging as the highest bidder at Rs 44,01,000 plus GST (Rs 51,93,180). The company has deposited Rs 1,02,98,340 in two installments into the account of the Advance Depot, he said.
The contract for Adda fee collection has been signed with the company for a six-month period or until the overall bus stand lease is finalized. The entire e-auction process was conducted by MSTC Ltd. as per government instructions. Following the outsourcing, the depot’s conductors and sub-inspectors earlier deployed for fee collection, have been reassigned to their original duties.
Bhullar added that to ensure efficiency and transparency, the Transport Department had conducted seven previous e-auctions for leasing Adda fees on a contractual basis, and in the eighth auction held on August 1, 2025, Arjun Yadav & Company (No. 156, New Grain Market, Salim Tabri, Ludhiana – 141008, Punjab) emerged as the highest bidder. As per the agreement, the company took over the collection of bus stand fees from November 1, 2025.
Reaffirming his commitment to transparency, Minister Bhullar said, “Every step has been taken with utmost transparency and in accordance with the rules. The decision to outsource Adda fee collection was aimed at streamlining the process, reducing administrative burden, and increasing revenue for the government exchequer.”
He reiterated that the Transport Department remains committed to serving the people of Punjab with “dedication, transparency, and accountability,” the press release said.
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