Waste collection: MMC given 7 days to scrap contract

MARGAO

Claiming that Margao Municipal Council’s decision to award the waste collection system to a private agency Bapu Environmental Social Service organisation a scam, the Shadow Council for Margao on Thursday set a seven-day deadline on the civic body to scrap the contract with the agency or threatened to knock the doors of the Vigilance for a probe.

The Shadow Council has also threatened to knock the doors of the High Court if no inquiry is initiated into the manner in which the contractor was awarded to the agency sans following the codal formalities.

Addressing the media, Convenor of Shadow Council for Margao Savio Coutinho said that even Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was on record saying that the agency is not doing anything on the waste collection system in the six Margao Municipal wards.

He lamented that the Margao Municipality has not acted on the host of complaints lodged by the Shadow Council despite the fact that Bapu had bagged the contract without the civic body complying with the codal formalities.

He pointed out that the DMA’s office had even requested the Margao Municipal Council to initiate action and submit the Action Taken Report (ATR), but the civic body has neither replied to the DMA nor have replied to Shadow Council’s complaint.

“The SCM has been demanding action on grounds that the agency was engaged by the Council without following proper codal procedure which includes an open tender and that the agency tried to claim payments in excess of the workers actually engaged.

“This is our final request for action in this matter, which has cost the public exchequer around Rs 60 lakh for last 10 months. Failure in taking necessary action in this fraud shall compel to either file a Vigilance complaint or petition the court of law,” Savio demanded.  

SCM member Radha Kavlekar pointed out that the Council had announced that the agency has been entrusted the all-important responsibility of collecting segregated waste which does not happen at all.  

“Not a single clause in the agreement (viz. providing of gloves, uniforms, identity cards, medical check up) is followed by the agency and the Council is merely handing over public fund’s to the agency,” Radha complained.  

The press conference was attended by John Gonsalves, Agostinho Gama, Irineu Fernandes, Savio Coutinho and others.