State, civic body bicker over garbage plants

LUDHIANA : Battle continues between the state government and municipal corporation (MC) authorities over setting up of solid waste management project in two cities - Ludhiana and Jalandhar. MC had earlier allotted tenders to a private company in December 2009 but cancelled it recently as the state wants to take over the plants.

Senior deputy mayor Praveen Bansal says, "It has not been finalized till now as to who would handle the project as the state government yearns to take over but the civic body is unwilling to let it go. We are not in a position to comment any further unless the government clears the status."

Sources in the MC ask, "Where was the state government for the past two years when the entire process was being discussed? It has woken up only now after we made the move for the plan's realization. It believes that the project could generate enormous profits."

They add, "As a first step, a private consultant has to be hired who would judge the quantity of garbage generated on a daily basis in the city. Only then, the process to transfer it from adjoining cities to the plant sites would be discussed."

Solid waste management has been one of the grave concerns dogging residents. Even before floating the tenders, the civic body had raised the matter in front of the visiting high-powered estimate committee chairman Virsa Singh Valtoha of Punjab Assembly.

It was also announced that the state government would form seven clusters at Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ferozepur, Bathinda, Pathankot, Ludhiana and Patiala, where wastes from cities would be collected for transportation to the two sites.

The authorities had invited tenders in December 2009, based on which 14 national and multi-national companies had applied. MC commissioner AK Sinha and DC Vikas Garg had also inspected 21 acres of vacant plot at Nurpur Bet here for setting up the plant. The Union government would give a grant of 50% under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, while the remaining would be shared between the state and the MC.
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