Nagpur: Ruling party corporator Pravin Bhisikar, also former standing committee chairman, has alleged irregularities in Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) procurement of garbage containers under the central government’s Swachh Bharat Mission. Private garbage collector Kanak Resources Management Limited (KRML) was benefited from the procurement.
Bhisikar has lodged a complaint with municipal commissioner Ashwin Mudgal, and demanded an inquiry, and action against NMC health department officials and a Gandhibagh-based private firm. He also submitted a general body question to municipal secretary Harish Dubey, which is likely to come up for discussion in the next general body meeting.
Bhisikar told TOI, health department officials in nexus with the private firm violated norms of procurement. “Health department floated tenders for procurement of 50 containers (five each for ten zones) at an estimated cost of Rs30 lakh in February. The department declared none of the bidders as qualified. The private firm that supplied containers was one among the disqualified bidders. Then, the department partitioned the work. All ten zone offices were asked to float quotations for procurement of the containers, and were given Rs 3 lakh each.”
“The private firm qualified for the work in all ten zones, with ten different quotations, despite being disqualified in tendering process. The firm also quoted the same rate in all ten zones. All zone offices issued work orders to the firm and got containers. All this proves the nexus between officials and private firm,” he said.
Bhisikar also said a work cannot be divided, so this was an additional violation. “It is a modus operandi prevailing in NMC to divide the work into pieces and it keep below maximum level of quotation. Maximum limit for quotation is Rs 3 lakh. Quotation cannot ensure transparency, fair bidding, and monitoring, so it is preferred by officials,” he said.
The health department has handed over the 50 containers with capacity of 4.5 cubic meter each to KRML. Actually, KRML was supposed to procure the containers, but got the containers from the spend by NMC from Swachh Bharat Mission funds.
An official from the health department told TOI the containers were procured through quotations as very few days were remaining for Swachh Survekshan. “It was a lengthy process for tendering process. Then we have to obtain permission from the standing committee for dividing the works and hand over the process to zone offices,” he said, adding, “There were no irregularities and loss to the NMC.”
The health department was aware of Swachh Survekshan’s schedule for last many months. Still, the department preferred many works through quotations citing emergency works. Chances of more such irregularities in procurement of other items cannot be ruled out, say sources.
Mining Gold From Garbage
* KRML workers collect garbage from households and dump it at a location in the ward
* KRML vehicles take away garbage from location
* NMC got less points as garbage is dumped on ground
* Plan prepared to procure containers to store garbage till it is transported to dumping yard
* Actually, it was part of KRML’s work so NMC cannot spend on it
* Tendering process was conducted and bidders, including Gandhibagh-based private firm, were declared disqualified
* Re-tendering was not done, but work given by quotation to a disqualified bidder
* Zone-wise quotations were invited in which the firm qualified in all 10 zones
