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Work set to begin soon on EWS Quarters

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The New Indian Express  30.09.2010

Work set to begin soon on EWS Quarters

BANGALORE: The residents of economically weaker sections (EWS) Quarters in Ejipura finally have something to cheer. With the court finally directing BBMP to go ahead with the contract awarded to Maverick Holdings and Investments Private Limited to construct permanent shelters for residents of the colony, the civic body has decided to get the work started.

In 2006, BBMP had awarded the contract for constructing the quarters to Maverick Holdings as the plan and design submitted by Akruti City, the highest bidder for the contract, was faulty and was not in accordance with the specifications mentioned in the tender.

Therefore, Akruti City had filed a writ petition requesting the court to direct BBMP to award the contract to them for being the highest bidders, though the BBMP had followed all the formalities including getting the contract approved in the council. The High Court dismissed the case and directed BBMP to go ahead with the contract and to construct proper shelters for residents of the quarters.

BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah said, “The aggrieved party may go for an appeal. Therefore, we will file a caveat and enter into a contract with Maverick Holdings, after presenting it in the council. We will ensure that the work is started at the earliest.”

Now, over 600 families and 5,000 residents of the quarters are living in makeshift tin sheds and thatched roof sheds. As the quarters are situated near a storm water drain, water enters the quarters, whenever it rains. Due to lack of proper sanitation, the quarters remains damp many days after the rain.  

According to the terms specified in the contract, Maverick Holdings has to construct 640 houses and the builder can develop 13.5 lakh square feet of commercial land adjacent to the quarters and collect the revenue generated, after paying a specified sum to BBMP for 30 years.

Managing Director of Maverick Holdings and Investments Private Limited BG Uday said, “We will construct six floor structures and this will be the first EWS quarters in the city with elevators. Each house will be of 360 square feet dimension and we will provide the best possible facilities.”

Last Updated on Thursday, 30 September 2010 07:13
 

Contracts of SHGs to be cancelled

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The Hindu  29.09.2010

Contracts of SHGs to be cancelled

Staff Correspondent

Bidar: The Bidar City Municipal Council (CMC) has decided to cancel the contracts given to self-help groups (SHGs) for cleaning roads and door-to-door garbage collection.

According to a resolution passed in the CMC meeting on Tuesday, the contracts will henceforth be given to private firms and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Complaint

Some councillors complained that SHGs were not doing the work effectively. CMC Commissioner S. Rangaswamy later announced that the process of inviting tenders from private companies for sanitation works would start soon. CMC president Sridevi Karanji was among those present.

Allotment of shops

The CMC also decided to renew allotment of shops in three of its eight commercial complexes here.

Councillors complained that most of the shops were rented out decades ago and shopkeepers were paying rents that were far below the prevailing rates in the market. Some of them were paying rent as low as Rs. 100 a month, and this should change, they said. Mr. Rangaswamy said that rent agreements of shops in three of the eight complexes would end this month. “We will invite fresh tenders for renting out the shops,” he said.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 29 September 2010 11:41
 

3 weeks later, MMC yet to open development tenders

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The Times of India         24.09.2010

3 weeks later, MMC yet to open development tenders

MARGAO: The failure of the Margao municipal council (MMC) to open tenders received by it for executing development works in the city, even after three weeks of the scheduled date, has raised eyebrows in certain quarters. The MMC had invited tenders amounting to nearly Rs 2 crore for carrying out various kinds of development works in all 20 wards of the city. Though the date for opening of tenders was fixed as September 3 in the notice inviting tenders, the MMC has failed to open the bids till date.

While opposition councilors have cried foul over the matter, chairperson Savio Coutinho has refuted the opposition's charge that the bids were invited "despite knowing that the coffers of the municipality were empty."This is definitely not true. We already have Rs 1 crore lying in the municipality funds from the grants-inaid MMC received on several occasions for the last several years and which are lying unutilized. We are also due to receive another `` 90 lakh as our share of octroi.

The municipality can very well carry out the works from our own funds and adjust it against the grants-in-aid later,"Coutinho explained. Chief officer Y B Tavde when contacted, attributed the delay in opening the tenders to some "technical error" in the procedure to be carried out for opening tenders. "The technical section is in the process of completing the procedure in the required manner. We will open the tenders shortly,"Tavde said.

Several city fathers had revolted against Coutinho in the recent past for his failure to invite tenders for development works. The dissidence was quelled only after the tenders were invited. With the current term of the council almost ending, the development works were expected to provide some mileage to city fathers to seek another term in the civic council.
 


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