Title - Metros still use brand name for generic product

New Delhi: The anomaly of a proprietary item figuring in the detailed project report (DPR), introduced by the much-touted Delhi Metro, has been replicated in at least four other cities: Ahmedabad, Pune, Ludhiana and Kochi. This was despite the objections raised by the Centre and a judicial setback suffered by the favored vendor, Patil Vossloh Rail Systems.
    In a departure from the norm of citing the specifications of a generic product, the DPRs of most of these metros have mentioned a brand name, Vossloh 336, when it came to the requirement of a “fastening system for ballastless track”. Kochi Metro was more subtle in promoting that brand; its DPR cited a part of the name, “336”, as if it were a generic term.
    The practice of singling out Vossloh 336 in the DPR as the only approved technology for fastening systems began with Delhi Metro, the pioneer in the field. The profiteering inherent in the arrangement came to light because of the policy decision to build the Delhi airport line on a public-private-partnership (PPP) basis.
    The corrective action taken by the Ministry of Urban Development to end its monopoly was challenged by Patil Vossloh before the Delhi high court. In its verdict delivered last month, the high court dismissed the vendor’s plea to retain its monopoly.
    Chennai Metro is the first one to have broken away from the monopolistic situation created by Delhi Metro in the course of its consultancy service.