Contracts for garbage come under scanner

Contracts for garbage come under scanner
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: The proposal to give contracts in 245 health wards for Rs 85 crore per year came under criticism in the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) meeting on Thursday.

Even as the council gave its consent to the proposal, Basavanagudi MLA K Chandrashekhar took the BMP officials to task alleging irregularities in the health contracts.

He said the existing garbage contracts in 182 health wards cost the civic body Rs 2.9 crore a month, while the revised 245 wards are estimated to cost Rs 7.11 crore a month – an additional cost of Rs 4.21 crore for 63 new wards.

Chandrashekhar said even with new services like compactors and auto tippers the increased cost was not justified.

"Even when the existing contracts ended two years ago why the BMP did not call for fresh tenders?" he asked.

However, commissioner K Jairaj explained that all procedural norms were followed in issuing garbage contracts and technical decision was based on the advice by the consultant IDeCK. The number of households has increased from 6.8 lakhs to 9.5 lakhs and based on the new population load, the cost would be Rs 51 crore per year, which would be Rs 67 crore at new diesel rates. That would further go to Rs 75.4 crore with service tax liability and adding automation elements in the work had further increased the cost to Rs 79 crore and the BMP had allowed for inflation during the three-year contract and had freezed the amount at Rs 83 crore per year, Jairaj said.

Jairaj said of the 82 contractors, 32 were repeaters and assured the House that the BMP would examine if any undue favour was done to any particular contractor.

Opposition leader B R Nanjundappa, councillors Vasanthakumari, Kokila Chandrashekhar and Rajaji Nagar MLA N L Narendra Babu said the contracts be given on a ward-wise basis.

Chandrashekhar and Babu walked out of the House saying the reply of the commissioner was not satisfactory.