Nagpur: Fined every month for lapses, garbage collecting agencies paid Rs1.42 crore

NAGPUR: BVG India and AG Enviro Infra, the two companies entrusted with door-to-door garbage collection 19 months ago, have been fined 19 times by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for low collection coverage, irregular collection services, malpractices and staff strike. The two companies have paid a cumulative fine of Rs1.42 crore, while NMC paid them Rs99.35 crore for the door-to-door garbage collection and transportation to Bhandewadi dumping yard.
The data obtained from NMC’s solid waste management department revealed that both firms had started lifting door to door collection from November 2019. Since the beginning of their services, NMC levied Rs1 lakh fine on each firm in November 2019 itself.
The fine amount increased from the second month of their service. In December 2019, the then municipal commissioner Abhijit Bangar had fined BVG India Limited (Rs4 lakh) and AG Enviro Infra (Rs3 lakh) for deficiency in service.
NMC also imposed a fine of Rs27 lakh on AG Enviro Infra after Shiv Sena leader Nitin Tiwari and West Nagpur MLA Vikas Thakre exposed how the firm first filled their trucks with mud and then garbage to increase the weight.
Though workers from both garbage firms had resorted to strikes on several occasions, NMC has penalized them only once.
BVG paid Rs25.08 lakh fine after its workers stopped work in January 2021. In July 2020, AG Enviro Infra paid Rs13.80 lakh as fine after its employees went on strike.
After leader of opposition and senior Congress corporator Tanaji Wanve and BSP corporator Jitendra Ghodeswar raised the issue of irregularities in lifting garbage by both firms in the general body meeting, mayor Dayashankar Tiwari had formed a five-member committee headed by ruling party leader Avinash Thakre.
Thakre panel has already started gathering details about both firms, manpower, machinery and groundwork data. “On Friday, we collected data from all 10 zones regarding details pertaining to both firms. Now, we will cross-check the data collected from both firms and NMC’s zonal offices,” Thakre told TOI.
Within a fortnight, a report comprising the committee’s observation about the issues raised by Wanve and Ghodeswar will be tabled in the general body meeting, he said.
Report Card From Nov 2019 to May 2021
AG Enviro Infra
Per tonne garbage payment---Rs1,950
Fine---Rs76,36,172
Total payment---Rs50,93,76,159
BVG India
Per tonne garbage payment---Rs1,800
Fine --- Rs66,47,741
Total payment --- Rs48,41,95,678