Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Jun 29: The city corporation (MCC) here has warned Antony Waste Handling Cell Pvt Ltd, which is entrusted with the work of solid waste management, of cancelling the tender granted to it if it goes on strike henceforth. It told the company that it has kept ready an alternative system if this happens.
At the general session of the city corporation held on Thursday, several corporators including Sudhir Shetty and Premananda Shetty raised the topic of repeated strikes by Antony Waste Handling employees and frequent failure to clear garbage. "We are getting bad reputation because of repeated reports in the media. As per the agreement, the company has to continue to attend to waste handling work even if payment is delayed by three months. Therefore, we should warn the company," they urged.
Corporator, Ashok Kumar D K, said that the corporation has been loosing heavily because of Antony Waste. He said that in handling poultry waste, the corporation is losing crores of rupees. He also asked the corporation to lay more emphasis on collection of taxes. Sudhir Shetty Kannur criticized the corporation for its failure to collect self assessment property tax properly and for keeping bills of contractors pending for over a year. He said that the financial condition of the corporation has suffered because of administrative failure.
Mayor, K Bhaskar Moily, informed that relating to loss of property on account of heavy rain on May 29, proposal has been put forth to the deputy commissioner for Rs 11.07 crore. Premananda Shetty urged the corporation to take up the work of streamlining underground drainage in a scientific way. Several corporators raised the issue of encroachment of major drains, and questioned about the committee formed by the deputy commissioner to conduct survey of major drains encroachment. There were also objections about stopping the work of clearing of such an encroachment in the middle at Malemar.
City corporation commissioner, Muhammed Nazeer, said that the work at Malemar has not been stopped but only first phase of work was conducted. He said that the committee headed by Mangalore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) has submitted interim report to the deputy commissioner, and its copy is yet to be received by the corporation. He said that action would be taken as soon as the report covering 12 major drains in the city is received by the corporation.
As no official representing MUDA was present at the meeting, the mayor said he would convene a meeting in the presence of people's representatives within 15 days to discuss problems faced by the corporation because of highway works.