The Times of India       22.09.2014 

Kochi’s Civic body and the case of ‘vanishing’ garbage trucks

KOCHI:
With hardly a year left for the election to Kochi corporation council,
the opposition is turning the screws on the ruling front. Opposition
councillors alleged irregularities in the purchase and maintenance of
trucks for garbage disposal on Saturday.

The civic body had
recently purchased 10 new compactor trucks, costing an estimated Rs 31
lakh each, for transporting garbage from the city to Brahmapuram solid
waste treatment plant. The corporation had also purchased 44 pick-up
autorickshaws.

“While the local body procured these vehicles,
they have not been able to explain the status of 17 covered trucks that
were purchased earlier. Though, we have repeatedly asked for the details
of these vehicles, the corporation has refused to provide it,” said
councillor M P Mahesh Kumar. When the vigilance and anti-corruption
bureau raided the corporation office recently, officials failed to
convincingly account for 38 of the 61 pick-up autorickshaws bought for
garbage disposal.

“These incidents indicate the ruling front’s
apathy in addressing public issues,” he added. According to councillor K
J Jacob, out of the 17 covered trucks not more than three or four are
operational. “The other vehicles are either damaged or abandoned. There
is no clarity on the status of these vehicles,” he said.

Meanwhile, the corporation maintained that the new batch of vehicles was
purchased through the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission
(JNNURM) and Kerala State Urban Development Project (KSUDP). The
vehicles will operate in 21 health circles. “In fact, the local body did
not procure these the new vehicles. We got it through these projects.
All most all the vehicles are here and completing the registration
process now,” said health committee chairperson T K Ashraf.

Regarding covered vehicles purchased earlier, he said that there was
“high risk involved in maintaining these vehicles as the local body had
to meet the expenses related to repair works.

The civic body
has to follow the rates decided by the public works department. We
prefer to hire vehicles for garbage disposal as there is need to meet
the expense for maintenance,” added Ashraf