Even as the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) had imposed Rs 3 crore as sanitation tax in its last budget,it does not have money to install roadside garbage bins. The existing bins placed on the footpaths of several roads were made of empty oil barrels and discarded hand pumps and have been damaged since long. But due to lack of funds,the VMC officials are now hunting for sponsors to install new bins. Vadodara Mayor Balkrishna Shukla mooted the year-long plan in the month of February and the VMC spent a huge amount on re-designing the existing garbage collection handcart containers. But it is still shrugging the responsibility of installing the bins. Incidentally,the existing bins have not been repaired for years together,notwithstanding the fact that the Corporation has embraced the ambitious plan of making the city clean. Shailesh Naik,in-charge,Solid Waste Management Department,VMC,said: The roadside bins are in fact a grey area where we have not been able to do well. When I was in-charge of the transportation department I took the initiative to install the roadside bins. The diesel barrels,which were to be disposed in scrap,were cut into two and fixed with the iron handles of hand pumps to make the garbage bins. But,then they had a life of their own and now the bases of most of the bins are damaged. When asked whether the VMC has allocation of funds for installing the bins,Naik added: There is no specific fund for garbage bins,but we are trying to find sponsors. We have already successfully installed about 100 bins in the Makarpura area where the Vadodara Chamber of Commerce and Industries has come forward as a sponsor. We are looking for more sponsors to install bins in other areas as well. The intention behind this concept is to bring in a sense of responsibility among the citizens.
