Admin overrules GB decision, not to oust garbage operators

Nagpur: The administration of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has overruled the resolution passed by the general body to terminate the contracts of the two garbage operators — AG Enviro Infra Projects Private Ltd and BVG India Ltd. Not even a notice has been issued to the operators despite the deadline ending almost two months ago.
On three occasions, TOI had reported that one of the two garbage operators —AG Enviro — was found mixing construction and demolition materials (C&D) waste, trunks and branches of trees with the garbage causing financial loss to the cash-strapped NMC.
Also, the operator continued to dump garbage on the surface layer causing pollution and violating the terms and conditions of the agreement.
The NMC is concretizing the surface layer of 10 garbage transfer stations at a cost of over Rs 1 crore which is to be done by the operators. The civic body also failed to initiate action despite garbage not being collected from households on a daily basis.
Citing various violations, including mixing of C&D waste with garbage, the general body accepted recommendations of the inquiry committee headed by Avinash Thakre on January 29.
Dayashankar Tiwari, who was the mayor when the decision was taken to terminate the contracts of the two operators, said, “The inquiry committee had recommended termination of the contracts of the two operators within three months. The committee also suggested appointment of a new operator within three months. All the recommendations of the committee were accepted without any objection. The administration was also directed to consult a senior counsel and start the process of termination of the contracts of the existing operators and the appointment of a new one.”
Nearly five months have passed but the NMC is yet to issue a notice to the operators. Now, the administration is allegedly misinterpreting the general body’s resolution as the tenure of the office bearers and corporators ended on March 4.
NMC officials say the general body’s resolution does not mention termination of contracts of the two operators. “The order says NMC should consult a senior counsel and take appropriate action. We forwarded the decision to the legal department,” they said.
Tiwari alleged that NMC is misinterpreting the order. “NMC has to terminate contracts of the two operators as per the decision taken by the general body. It is very clear that general body approved all the recommendations made by the inquiry committee,” he said.
The civic body had engaged the two operators in November 2019. The inquiry committee also observed that the operators were not collecting garbage daily from households apart from indulging in irregularities. The committee said the NMC did not levy fines as per the terms and conditions of the agreement.