The Indian Express 14.09.2009
Civic body’s cleanliness drive gets cold shoulder from corporate sector
The Vadodara Municipal Corporation’s (VMC) initiative to get people’s participation and involve the corporate sector in making the city neat and clean seems to be on the backburner.
If officials at the Solid Waste Management department are to be believed, no major company has extended help to the civic body so far.
Considering the present market scenario where companies have stopped spending on anything that does not result in profits, it would be difficult to generate interest in this cause, the officials said.
“The intention was to get maximum participation from the citizens in keeping the city clean. As part of the initiative, we had urged the citizens and even companies and organisations to help us through different means,”said an official at the Solid Waste Department.
He added: “As far as the corporate sector is concerned, we were expecting financial aid to install garbage bins in different parts of the city. But unfortunately, none of the companies have come forward so far.”
Deputy Municipal Commissioner C M Makwana, however, said that the entire project was halted, first due to the elections, and then due to monsoon.
“It is true that none of the major corporates have come forward, but we are hopeful that with the situation improving as far as slowdown is concerned, we will get a positive response,” he said.
Makwana added: “Also, we were deliberately not stressing on the project due to the monsoon, but now, we are prepared to make a renewed approach to make the city clean and spotless.”
