The Indian Express             14.08.2013

BMC fines contractors Rs 3 cr for not installing GPS on vehicles

The Rs 700-crore contract to nine firms would have helped the civic administration closely monitor the vehicles, and ensure that dumpers visit spots to clear garbage and dump them at the designated sites. "We have planned to penalise these contractors Rs 100 per day for each vehicle. The contracts to collect garbage were given last year but the contractors have failed to install GPS," said Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Prakash Patil.

At present, BMC uses a logbook system to track solid waste management. The logbook contains details like the number of rounds made by a collection truck and its timings. Officials admit that the system is susceptible to manipulation. "The system will prevent contractors from making false logbook entries," he said.

However, while BMC will be able to track the GPS devices, it will not be in a position to monitor whether they have been fitted on the right vehicles. The civic administration has allowed the contractors to install their own technology.

"One can manipulate the device and put it on some other vehicle. Sitting at a computer, one cannot check if the device has been manipulated. The onus of installing it should be on BMC," said a senior civic official, citing the example of the previous five year-contract of garbage collection, wherein the contractors had installed cheaper Chinese handsets.

"The the contractors used handsets with fake IMEI numbers," said an official. BMC then discontinued the use of GPS.