The Rajender Kumar Kataria report has noted gross irregularities in solid waste management (SWM) in the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) by engineers, account staff, officers and contractors, and said the civic body has incurred losses owing to payment of fake bills produced by contractors.
The 76-page report, which probed into irregularities committed in 198 wards of the BBMP since 2008, said the civic body incurred losses of Rs. 18.17 crore by payment of fake bills given by contractors.
Contractors used vehicles of the same registration number in different wards of the same zone. “The vehicle with same registration number was used in different wards of the same zone and different zone, which contradicts the condition of the tender,” said the report, a copy of which is with The Hindu .
The report recommended disciplinary action against engineers, account staff and officers, who have caused loss to the corporation. It suggested recovery of the amount paid illegally.
The report, which became the basis for the government to defend its decision to split the BBMP, said 1,099 vehicles out of 3,204 (34 per cent) used in transportation of solid waste were registered before 2006, which contradicts the condition of tender. “This contributes to the inefficiency in collecting and transportation of solid waste, which was in contravention of the agreement clause,” the report said.
Moreover, 63 vehicles’ fitness certificates were not renewed, which transported SWM for a period ranging up to 33 years — which contravened the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. No weighing bridge has been installed and payments were made only on the basis of weighing data given by a private firm (TFBL). It said 17 vehicles used in west zone for transportation of municipal solid waste (MSW) were registered as non-transportation vehicles — two-wheelers, four-wheelers, buses and so on. BBMP did not verify the authenticity of transportation claims of vehicles and passed the bills without checks. “This requires further investigation by an external agency,” the report said.
The BBMP, as a principle contractor, has violated the PF and ESI Act by not ensuring PF amount of Rs. 92.32 crores and ESI amount of Rs. 23.46 crore of pourakarmikas and staff/assistants appointed by contractors. The report said there was no justification of Rs. 26.95 crore expenditure was incurred and excess payment made to the suppliers and contractors involved in the MSW. It said the BBMP has no reliable data on waste generation.
Civic body has incurred losses of
Rs. 18.17 crore by paying fake bills given by contractors: report
