Though BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad and Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun have set September 1 as the deadline for the new garbage tenders to take effect, it’s unlikely it would happen.
That is because the files pertaining to the tenders are yet to be cleared by the Standing Committee for Health. BBMP officials attributed the delay in approvals to the political turmoil.
Earlier this month, officials claimed that the technical and financial bids for tenders of 167 wards had been evaluated, and that the tenders, in the range of ₹1 crore to 3 crore, had been submitted to the committee.
However, Mujahid Pasha, the committee chairperson, told The Hindu that his office has received only 70 of the 110 files. He also rubbished the claim that the political developments were responsible for the delay in approval.
He said the committee is expected to meet either on Monday or Tuesday to discuss the tenders and approve them based on the files sent.
“The council will have to approve tenders that are above ₹3 crore. However, once the committee clears the files, they will have to be sent to the Special Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) and Commissioner for final approval and issue of work order,” he said.
He was confident the committee would approve at least 80% of the tenders and work orders would be issued by mid-August.
Solid Waste Management officials, however, claimed that 110 files had been sent to the committee. While a stay had been obtained from the High Court on the tenders pertaining to 30 wards, the financial bids for 163 wards had been evaluated.
The civic body will reissue tenders for four wards where the contractors were disqualified on technical grounds. One ward, D.J. Halli, had received no bids. Officials said 25 tenders were still in the negotiation stage and 18 had been recommended to roll back the quoted rates.
Ms. Gangambike admitted that there was a delay in approval of the tenders. “We are insisting on security deposit from the contractors. If we are not satisfied with their work of the contractor, they will forfeit the deposit and we will blacklist them,” she said.
