Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad   

Corporation cancels tender given to contractor

Staff Correspondent

Residents complain of lack of cleanliness and poor roads

UNITED IN PROTEST: Residents of Veerapur Oni staging a protest by blocking the road in their locality in Hubli on Thursday.

HUBLI: Residents of Veerapur Oni of Hubli staged a night-long dharna in protest against lack of cleanliness and poor maintenance of roads in their area here on Wednesday night.

The protest, which began on Wednesday night, continued on Thursday morning, till senior officials of the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) assured them of action.

Residents parked bullock carts and blocked the road in the area. Consequently, the road leading to Bankapur Chowk (P.B. Road) from Veerapur Oni was cut off.

Protesters complained that although they had brought the issue of lack of cleanliness in the area and bad roads to the notice of corporation authorities, nothing had been done so far.

They said they had even submitted a memorandum in this regard during a public grievances meeting held in the area, in which MP Pralhad Joshi had participated.

The workers employed by the contractor in charge of cleaning drains and waste disposal in the area, were demanding money from residents for cleaning, they complained.

Cases of chikungunya

The area registered the highest number of cases of chikungunya in the district. Corporation authorities had turned a blind eye to the problem even though the threat of dengue was looming large over the city. No preventive measures were taken so far, they alleged.

When the Assistant Commissioner of the zonal office, L.Y. Malode, met them in the morning, they demanded that the Municipal Commissioner come to the spot to hear their grievances. However, they changed their mind later and took out a protest march to the corporation office.

Raising slogans against what they termed negligence of officials in strictly dealing with the contractor, the protesters went to the HDMC office to meet the Commissioner.

After hearing the grievances of the residents, Commissioner P. Manivannan issued orders for cancellation of the bid awarded to the contractor for waste disposal and cleaning and directed the zonal office to call for fresh tenders.

He directed the officials to take the services of the present contractor only till alternative arrangements were made.

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