The Hindu 14.02.2013
Garbage tender: 'firm violated rules'
BVG Company did not submit certificates to prove its experience, says Congress leader.
Congress leader Sunilkumar Sandra has alleged that the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation has violated guidelines while awarding the tender for solid waste collection and transportation to a private company.
He told presspersons here on Tuesday that the corporation was snatching away the livelihood of 1,800 pourakarmikas by trying to implement the package system on the pretext of improving solid waste management.
Mr. Sandra said that BVG Company had not submitted certificates to prove its experience in solid waste management in an urban local body. “As per the information provided by the company, it is not even eligible to participate in the tender process,” he said. He pointed out that the company had failed in carrying out the work allotted to it in Bangalore.
Cost escalation
Mr. Sandra said that the corporation used to spend around Rs.10 crore for garbage clearance in wards and the work was outsourced to private contractors, who employed around 1,800 pourakarmikas.
Proposal
“For the same work, the corporation now will spend Rs. 15.04 crore and the company will employ only 799 pourakarmikas,” he said.
He wanted to know why there was need for a bigger company to take care of garbage clearance, when there was no proposal for automation to improve the system. “The tender guidelines clearly specify that the contractor has to do the pourakarmikas’ work and provide the equipment to the workers. There is no proposal of automation. What is the need for awarding the tender to the company at higher cost?,” he asked.
