Garbage contractors oppose BBMP’s tender

BENGALURU: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) attempt at reviving the contract system in garbage collection and transportation has been facing opposition by garbage contractors. The BBMP recently floated tenders for ward-wise collection and disposal of waste, to bring transparency and accountability in Solid Waste Management (SWM) in the city. The agency wants to hold the ward level garbage contractor accountable for failure in collection and transportation of waste at the household level. They have also set 26 conditions for bidders participating as garbage tenders in the city.  

S N Balasubramainam, a senior garbage contractor in the city said, “The tender conditions clearly say that the BBMP only wants to appoint new garbage contractors till its new rule comes. But the tender conditions demand that the contractors sign an undertaking. That the contractor has no ownership of his bidding, and the BBMP can cancel the tender anytime within its tenure, without providing any reasons or intimation. If tomorrow a corporator doesn’t like the contractor, he can remove him and appoint his close aide as the contractor. In such a situation, where will the contractor go? The city is already full of corporators’ close aides taking up the garbage collection works and the result is already with us. We will file an affidavit in the court on the matter and will also raise an objection about the clauses in pre-bid meetings,” he said.

Speaking to TNIE, Sarfaraz Khan, Joint Commissioner, SWM said, “This is not just this contract but this clause is there with all the tender documents that are invited by the BBMP, which has to have an authority on any civic work it takes up,” he said.