Palghar: The Palghar Nagarparishad has awarded a garbage transportation contract for three years with an annual expenditure of Rs6.87 crore, which is almost 3.5 times the amount of the earlier contract.
While the governing council is optimistic about bringing in a change in the garbage collection system, the opposition has alleged irregularities in the contract. The earlier contract was awarded for Rs16 lakh per month with 50 workers, 15 vehicles and one truck for transportation.
Contract to come into effect from May 1
Garbage collection in the Palghar municipal area is divided into two zones – east and west. Nearly 35 metric tonnes (MT) of garbage is expected to be collected at the rate of Rs1,941 per MT. This activity will be supported by 101 workers, six supervisors, 15 one-tonne capacity and five two-tonne capacity vehicles. The contract will come into effect from May 1 and the workforce is expected to be operational for 16 hours a day.
The collection agency is expected to dispose of the wet and dry garbage separately as per norms laid by the government. The collection vehicles are to be fitted with a GPS and the corporation will pay as per the weight of the daily collection.
While ex-mayor Uttam Pimple has alleged corruption and irregularities, chief officer of Nagarparishad Pankaj Pawar-Patil said the daily wages of workers are as per the minimum wages, which have exponentially gone up. He said the technical sanction for the contract was obtained from Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran.
