New Delhi:
Delhi government on Monday imposed a hefty fine of Rs four crore on Tata Motors for "not properly" maintaining the low-floor buses it manufactured, after six of them caught fire in a span of three weeks.
The government has also decided to withhold a payment of Rs 150 crore to the Tatas and warned of legal action if corrective steps were not taken by the automobile giant.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said the government had "strongly warned" the Tata officials to ensure that such incidents do not happen in future.
"We will take very strong action against them if they fail to ensure proper maintenance of these buses. They are responsible for the maintenance of the buses and we will not tolerate any sort of negligence on their part," she said.
So far, six low-floor buses of Tata's latest fleet have caught fire, raising concerns about passenger safety.
Announcing the fine on Tata Motors, Delhi Transport Minister Lovely said government has the option of filing criminal cases against them in future.
Replying to a calling attention motion in Delhi Assembly, Lovely said the government has also decided to withhold the payment of Rs 150 crore payable to the company for supply of 300 buses for the time being.