BANGALORE: Yielding to pressure reportedly from corporators aspiring to grab the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike's (BMP) garbage deals, the civic body has again extended the last date for participating in the bids from February 28 to March 15.

As per the tender notification issued on December 12, February 13 was the last date for applying for the contracts. It was extended to February 28 and now again by a fortnight.

Though BMP officials justified the extension and said it has been done to incorporate suggestions made by the applicants during the "pre-bid" meeting, highly-placed sources in the BMP told The Hindu on Tuesday that the extension is a result of "pressure" from a section of corporators who are trying to grab garbage contracts in the names of their spouses or relatives.

"Over two-thirds of the 125 and odd tender applications received so far are from corporators, who are doing their best to bag "benami" contracts.

Last chance

This is the last year of their term and they want to make the best use of the last opportunity," the sources said.

For the record, several corporators had even tried to influence BMP Commissioner K. Jothiramalingam not to impose strict conditions, which may be difficult to implement if they bag the contracts.

The tenders are for "collection and transportation of municipal solid waste and street sweeping" in 287 health wards of the city for three years. The annual cost of garbage collection and disposal has been increased from Rs. 24 crores to Rs. 56 crores this time and the BMP hopes to earn additional revenue through the levy of solid waste management cess.

After the term of the existing contractors ended in June last, the BMP had announced that new tenders will be called within a month.

The 52 contractors entrusted with cleaning of 187 health wards in 62 packages in June 2003, were asked to continue till the new tenders are called.

This time, the collection and disposal of solid waste has been reduced to 35 packages, including two packages for mechanised cleaning on VIP stretches and three for night cleaning in Gandhinagar, Chickpet and Shivajinagar.

Sources said the applicants, during the pre-bid meeting, had urged the Commissioner to allot work in 60 packages.

"But we have made it clear that the number of packages will be limited to 35 this time. For better performance, we will also ensure that each contractor will not get more then two packages," a senior official involved in the tendering process said.

Minimum wages

The BMP has fixed the monthly minimum wages for the pourakarmikas employed by the contractors at Rs. 2,075. 80. "These wages will increase as per changing rules in the Labour Department. Though the applicants tried to persuade us to allow them to fix `agreeable' wages for the next three years, we have told them that the wages will be as per rules framed by the department," the official added.

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