The Patna Municipal Corporation board on Monday gave an in-principle nod to the execution of the integrated solid waste management project for the state capital, raising hope of the residents getting a clean city by Chhath.
The waste management project is part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) to be carried out by a special purpose vehicle, named Bihar Urban Services Corporation Limited and formed by Bihar Urban Infrastructure Develo-pment Corporation (BUIDCo).
“Though the work would be executed by the special purpose vehicle, the civic body would be in charge of the project, including payment and monitoring of the routine progress. We would ask BUIDCo to start procuring and mobilising the necessary equipment at the earliest to ensure that the becomes spick and span by Chhath,” PMC commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pal told The Telegraph while coming out of the board meeting.
This year, Chhath would be celebrated on November 19.
Several ward councillors, led by former deputy mayor Vinay Kumar “Pappu”, claimed that the resolution was not passed with majority. “Altogether 43 councillors had submitted a memorandum to the board, opposing the execution of the solid waste management project by an external agency. But mayor Afzal Imam did not consider the memorandum. He did not hold voting to pass the resolution and got it passed in a dictatorial manner,” Pappu said.
The PMC board comprises all 72 councillors, the commissioner and other administrative officers of the civic body.
The PMC empowered standing committee had approved the Bihar Urban Services Corporation Limited to undertake the project on September 22, a day after the consortium of Jindal-ITF Limited and MBM-Dallah Waste Management Services backed out of the scheme.
BUIDCo had in June selected the consortium on behalf of the PMC to collect and transport municipal solid waste in 62 wards. The waste management project, which entails a total project cost of Rs. 110.59 crore, also envisages development of an integrated solid waste management facility at Bairiya village with a capacity to treat 800 to 1,500 tonnes of solid waste daily.
