Pune: Fursungi-Uruli Devachi Civic Body Cancels ₹20 Crore Waste Management Tender Citing Technical, Administrative Errors

Pune: The Fursungi-Uruli Devachi Municipal Council has cancelled a ₹20 crore waste management tender, citing technical and administrative errors in the bidding process.

The tender, floated on Sept 12, proposed managing 132 tonnes of waste per day, despite the civic body currently generating and collecting around 60 to 70 tonnes daily. It covered door-to-door waste collection, transportation and cleaning of public spaces.

The tender had drawn allegations from municipal council members that its terms were framed to favour a particular contractor. Health committee chairman and corporator Sachin Harpale, along with Santosh Harpale, Ajinkya Dhamal and Balasaheb Harpale, questioned the basis for projecting 132 tonnes of daily waste. They alleged that the inflated estimate could result in unnecessary expenditure of around ₹20 crore over three years.

At present, waste generated within the municipal council limits is transported to the Pune Municipal Corporation's waste processing facility at Uruli Devachi. The civic administration also carries out door-to-door waste collection and cleaning of public spaces.

According to the councillors, around 80% of the municipal area is cleaned daily, and waste is collected from households. Despite this, the tender projected an additional 52 tonnes of waste based on an estimated population of around 2.4 lakh.

The tender conditions also came under scrutiny. One condition reportedly required bidders to have vehicles belonging to a single company. Another stipulated experience in providing 500 sanitation workers, although councillors claimed the actual requirement would be around 130 to 150 workers.

Councillors alleged that these conditions were designed to restrict competition and benefit a particular contractor. Following the controversy, the municipal council cancelled the tender, citing technical and administrative errors.