Ludhiana: Around 55 resolutions were discussed during the Finance and Contracts Committee (F&CC) meeting held at the Mayor Camp Office near Rose Garden on Thursday, with most of them receiving approval. Civic officials said tenders had already been floated for integrated solid waste management covering collection, transportation, processing and disposal through a public-private partnership model.According to sources, MC officials, who were under considerable government pressure to ensure the tender’s success, brought the resolution to the F&CC on the directions of higher authorities. An MC House meeting may now be convened in the coming days to secure final approval.
MC officials said Ludhiana has 95 wards and a population of about 20 lakh, and that NGT guidelines on solid waste disposal require compliance with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. The corporation currently has an agreement with a private company for lifting garbage from 32 secondary collection points, while another private firm is tasked with processing fresh waste. The MC had earlier prepared an estimate of Rs 169 crore for door-to-door collection, which was approved by the chief engineers’ committee, but no tender was awarded to any agency.The MC has now prepared another proposal for processing fresh solid waste in the city, under which door-to-door collection, segregation and processing will be implemented together.A rough cost estimate prepared by the MC shows the annual expenditure for the project will be around Rs 140 crore to Rs 150 crore. Over eight years, the total cost is expected to fall between Rs 1,100 crore and Rs 1,200 crore. The last date for tender submission was Feb 9, but due to a response that did not meet expectations, the date may be extended.Authorities remained tight-lipped about the urgency in pushing the resolution. Senior deputy mayor Rakesh Prashar declined to share details, saying only that the majority of resolutions placed before the committee had been approved.Meanwhile, discussions were also held on forming committees of councillors to monitor expenditure across various MC branches. These committees will oversee the operation and maintenance cell, bridges and road branch, purchase committee and dispute committee.MSID:: 127940855 413 |
