Coimbatore Corporation has served a show-cause notice to the contractor managing the waste processing facility why it cannot terminate contract as one its vehicle was reportedly involved in the accident that saw K. Raghupathy, the engineer from United States, killed on November 24.
In its notice dated November 26, the Corporation has told the contractor, Coimbatore Integrated Waste Management Company Private Limited, that it had been told by the police department that the driver of the hook loader vehicle TN 38 AV 3953 drove the vehicle in a reckless manner causing a fatal accident on Avinashi Road by driving on the wrong side of the road.
The company not passing on timely information regarding the accident to the Corporation was “not only deplorable but also highly condemnable.” “This sort of complacency of serious nature on your part is not only highly questionable but also it warrants a detailed report from your side in this regard in best public interest.”
Given the circumstances, the Corporation said it was of the opinion that you [contractor] was not in a position to discharge contractual obligations with due care and safety that were centric to the garbage disposal facility on its behalf. And, considering the gravity of the situation and public ire it had to face, the company [contractor] would do well to show cause why contract should not be terminated with immediate effect.
Sources close to the contractor said it was finalising a rebuttal and once ready it would submit the same to the Corporation in a day or two.
People familiar with the developments and not wanting to be quoted said the civic body could not cancel the contract, for there was no negligence on the party of the contractor on the waste management part. Further, the civic body would not be able to cancel the contract, it would be burdened with treating an additional 400 to 500 metric tonne waste a day, something which it could ill afford at this stage where it was facing a case at the court regarding poor waste management.
