Solid waste management: City Corporation cautions Antony Company
‘Will cancel contract if work is boycotted’
Mangaluru, June 28: The City Corporation on Thursday warned the Antony Waste Management Company, which is maintaining the solid waste management in the city, of cancelling the contract if it resorted to protest or boycotted the work under the pretext that it will have to get dues from the corporation.
The first general body meeting of the city corporation chaired by mayor Bhaskar Moily here, the city corporation also decided to make alternative arrangements if the company failed to discharge its duty.
Corporators in the meeting expressed their apprehension about the non-disposal of solid waste in the city due to the protest of the Antony Company and its consequences. The Company has been telling that as the city corporation had to give balance amount to the company, its workers go on strike very oftenly. But the city corporation has said that it has to pay one month payment to the company. If it is true, it is very unfortunate that a national level company is blackmailing the city corporation for one month due, said corporator Vijay Kumar Shetty.
Another corporator Dayanand Shetty urged the mayor to black-list the company, while former mayor Harinath alleged that waste disposal in interior parts of the city is not effective.
Responding to it, Commissioner Muhammad Nazeer said that solid waste management is being conducted in two packages in the city. The Antony company is collecting the waste from the door-steps, while Unique Waste Private Limited company is processing the waste. Monthly, the Antony company is being given Rs 2 to Rs 2.20 crore and Unique company is being given Rs 20 to 22 lakh. As claimed by the company, the city corporation does not owe Rs 30 crore to the company, he clarified.
As per the agreement, the Antony company has to sweep the roads using machines, clean the drainages of more than one meter depth and separate the collected garbage. Because the company is not following the agreement norms, the city corporation is slapping penalty and cutting the payment every month and this amount is almost Rs 9 crore. For this, the company has already filed arbitration with the Deputy Commissioner. Out of Rs 9 crore, the company would get just Rs 87 lakh and remaining amount would be given as Escalation expenses to the company. As per this, the city corporation had paid Rs 4.70 crore to the company in January and Rs 5.50 crore is balance. Along with this, the city corporation had to pay May month payment of Rs 2.25 crore. In total, the city corporation has to give Rs 7.75 crore dues to the company, he said.
When the workers stopped the work suddenly, it affected the people in the city. Though it was holiday on the next day, the city corporation had convened an emergency meeting and asked all old contractors to collect the waste in some parts of the city. Later, the company workers called of their protest and resumed their work. If the workers boycotted the work in future, then the city corporation would cancel the contract with it. The corporation has already informed the company as a last warning that it would make alternative arrangement if its workers boycott the work, the commissioner said.
MLAs Vedavyas Kamath and Bharat Shetty, MLC Ivan D’Souza, deputy mayor Muhammad Kunjattabail, standing committee presidents Praveen Chandra Alva, Naveen D’Souza, Latha Salian, Radhakrishna and others were present.
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Punishment for those disrupting assembly proceedings, warns Speaker UT Khader
Belagavi: Speaker U.T. Khader on Friday warned that members who disrupt Assembly proceedings by talking in their seats during debates will be made to sit in the House for an entire day as a disciplinary measure.
The warning came after the Question Hour, when Deputy Leader of the Opposition Arvind Bellad was permitted to initiate a discussion on the development of North Karnataka.
At this point, expelled BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal objected, stating that he had been seeking a debate for the past three days but had not been given an opportunity.
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Responding to the objection, Speaker Khader said Bellad had already been granted permission and assured Yatnal that he would be allowed to speak at the next opportunity. He noted that even as a serious discussion was underway, several MLAs were speaking among themselves with their microphones on, disrupting the proceedings.
Expressing displeasure over the conduct of members, Khader likened the situation to football, where players receive red, yellow, or white cards for violations. Similarly, he said, the Assembly issues warning cards to members who disturb the House. If they fail to correct themselves despite repeated warnings, they would be required to remain seated in the Assembly hall for a full day as punishment, he stated.
