Mumbai, Feb 12: After inviting tenders for providing meals to patients in municipal hospitals, initiating the process to operate a 400-bed hospital in Govandi under a public-private partnership (PPP), handing over more than 150 ICU beds in civic hospitals to private companies, and outsourcing cleaning and housekeeping services in 11 suburban hospitals, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is now preparing to privatise mosquito control work across the city and suburbs. Tenders for the same have been issued.
In a move aimed at controlling vector-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria and chikungunya, the BMC has decided to outsource the key mosquito control activity of thermal fogging to private agencies for a period of three years.
The civic body’s Insecticide Department has floated tenders for carrying out fogging through vehicle-mounted machines. The decision has triggered debate among corporators and citizen groups. Until now, the work was undertaken by employees of the BMC’s Insecticide Department.
Questions are being raised about whether privatisation will enhance efficiency and accountability or make monitoring more difficult despite higher expenditure.
Cost and ward-wise distribution
In the western suburbs, mosquito control work across 10 wards, covering 158.46 sq km, will be outsourced at an estimated cost of Rs 7,44,24,000. In the eastern suburbs, six wards spanning 158.46 sq km will see similar work carried out at a cost of Rs 4,99,70,400. In the city area, fogging will be undertaken in nine wards covering 68.71 sq km at a cost of Rs 4,99,70,400.
Tender conditions and penalties
As per the tender conditions, the work will be carried out daily from 7 am for eight hours, except on Sundays and government holidays. Contractors must provide GPS-enabled vehicles fitted with mounted fogging machines to enable monitoring.
While the BMC will supply the insecticide, its cost will be recovered from the contractor at prevailing rates. Each zone must carry out two fillings per day, with 60 litres of insecticide and diesel mixture per filling. The mixing process must be conducted in the presence of an authorised BMC officer and in accordance with prescribed standards.
If fogging is not carried out on a particular day, the contractor will not be paid for that day and will be fined Rs 15,000. Delays will attract a penalty of Rs 2,000 for the first hour and Rs 2,500 for every additional hour.
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Union opposes decision
The Municipal Mazdoor Union has strongly opposed the decision. Union General Secretary Pradeep Narkar said the move could render around 2,000 employees of the Insecticide Department jobless.
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