The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Corporation conservancy workers stage protest

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 03, 2007
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Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Corporation conservancy workers stage protest

Staff Reporter

They oppose privatisation of garbage clearance

CHENNAI : About 300 conservancy workers of the Chennai Corporation staged a protest against privatised garbage clearance on Wednesday, the last day for private firms to qualify for the solid waste management contract in four zones in the city.

The protest, organised by the Chennai Corporation Red Flag Union, was held in the Ripon Building premises.

Arrested

The agitators raised slogans against privatisation for about an hour. When they tried to enter the Ripon Building, the Corporation's headquarters, they were arrested.

"The Corporation's sanitary workers can do a good job if given good quality brooms, baskets and other cleaning equipment. There is no need to bring in a private agency," said S. Purushothaman, general secretary of the Corporation's Red Flag Union.

The private firm Onyx handles clearance of about 1,200 tonnes of solid waste in Adyar, Kodambakkam and Ice House zones since 2000. The Corporation has decided to include Pulianthope zone in the privatised waste management system.

Mr. Purushothaman said the Corporation paid Rs. 36 crore last year to Onyx. "The Corporation has promised to provide jobs for the sanitary workers in Pulianthope zone to work in other zones. But many of these workers live in Pulianthope as they have to start work at 6.30 a.m.," he said.

M. Bagavathy, vice-president of the Corporation's Red Flag Union, said women sanitary workers had no toilet facilities in their divisions. If the workers were given a better deal, the quality of work would improve, she said.

Selection process

Twelve firms have entered the selection process for the privatised solid waste management contract.

They are Onyx, A - Z Infrastructure, Albuchery, IL and FS, Ramky Infrastructure, TANZIFCO, Swachatha, Antony's, Subash Project Marketing Limited, United Transport, Srinivasa Waste Management and Neel Metal.

The firms that meet requirements will have to send their financial and technical bids and a pre-bid meeting will be held by the middle of June.

The tender process will be completed by the end of June. The winning bidder will start work by August and September, said Chennai Corporation officials.

The company will be expected to handle a total of 1,400 tonnes of solid waste in the four zones.

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