Mayors oppose privatisation of waste management project,govt appoints C&DS

The other aspects comprising the project — collection and transportation of solid waste — would be carried out by the local municipal bodies. Sources maintain that C&DS has been made third party so that at least the first phase of project could be started even if mayors continue to oppose the project. The premise being that mayors can oppose only that part of the project that is to be handled by municipal bodies.

Government officials,meanwhile,claimed that all objections of mayors have been sorted out and C&DS has been made party in the project for technical consultancy only. “The project is now clear as all these confusions have been sorted out in a meeting with Jal Nigam and municipal bodies held three days ago,” said Alok Ranjan,Principal Secretary of Urban Development Department.

He added: “To meet the demands of mayors,some changes will be made in the agreement conditions. The C&DS would also sign the agreement to provide technical support and monitor the progress in technical works.”

C&DS director P K Bhukesh said,“Besides technical support,the reason to include C&DS in the project is to ensure that technical works like installation of machines for processing of waste can be started despite opposition of mayors.”

The mayors in these nine municipal corporations,meanwhile,continue to oppose the privatisation of waste management. Besides raising questions on the capability of selected firms,the mayors claim that safai workers of these municipal bodies would become unemployed after privatisation.

Lucknow Mayor Dr Dinesh Sharma,however,said: “I am not satisfied with the government’s assurance. I demand the tabling of the project details in the House of Lucknow Municipal Corporation for discussion.”

Aligarh Mayor Ashutosh Varshney added: “The government has not communicated any details to us regarding the project. They cannot go ahead (with the project) till the House of Municipal Corporation approves a proposal on it.” He added: “In the next meeting of mayors from across India,scheduled to be held on January 30 and 31,the mayors from UP will raise the issue.”

Bhukesh,however,said that the municipal corporations have been assured that none of their employees would lose their job and that they will only be adjusted in some other work.

Under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM),solid waste management projects have to be executed in nine cities — Allahabad,Varanasi,Jhansi,Gorakhpur,Moradabad,Aligarh,Meerut,Mathura and Lucknow. A single firm will handle the entire solid waste management of a city.

While A2Z Maintenance has been selected for carrying out the project in Moradabad,Aligarh,Meerut and Varanasi,M/s Jyoti Build Tech has been chosen for implementing the project in Lucknow. Subhash Projects and Marketing have been chosen for Mathura and Allahabad while APR Projects will carry out works in Gorakhpur and Jhansi.

The agreement of project in these cities was earlier signed between only two parties — local municipal body and the selected firm.