The Times of India                29.10.2013

Civic body extends contract deadline of waste management company

RANCHI: Amid reports of fracas between A2Z Waste Management Company and Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) over pending cleanliness work in the city, the civic body has extended the deadline of its contract with the firm.

The company has had a shoddy reputation so far and in several cases, the contract was terminated for flouting rules or poor performance

Before coming to Ranchi, the company was working with municipal corporations in other cities but in most cases its contract was terminated at most places due to breach of contract and non- performance.

Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation health officer R Yadav said, "A2Z has worked with us for around one-and a-half years but we had to terminate the contract as it was not functioning properly and also breached the contract norms."

Similar was the case in Jaipur, where the company was asked to stop work within a year of their signing the contract and the corporation seized the security money of Rs 1.20 crore which the company deposited with the civic body.

Jaipur health officer DK Meena said, "After we seized the security money, the company moved court and the matter is still pending. The company was not working properly and flouting rules openly."

The story is similar in Aligarh, Kanpur and Patna where the company was stopped from working after one or two years of their signing the contracts.

Despite having a 'not so clean' history, the company was hired by RMC for 30 years in 2011. Deputy mayor Sanjiv Vijayavargiya said he had no idea about the history of the company. "The proposal of hiring the company was kept in the board meeting and on seeing the presentation we thought that the company will do well. However, the whole thing backfired. Those officials who were involved in appointing it, right from the mayor to CEO and deputy CEO - all have changed."

Vijayavargiya said if the corporation tried to remove the company it will move court and then RMC will not be able to take out fresh tender for the cleanliness work of the city.

"We are doing a new experiment in which respective ward councillors will be given the responsibility of cleanliness and if this works, we will be able to remove the company.