Patna Municipal Corporation’s wings could get clipped further.

The state urban development and housing department has decided to take the solid waste management project off the civic body’s plate. The project is pending with PMC for the past seven years.

“The department has decided that a sum of Rs 23 crore lying with the PMC will be taken from it and handed over to Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (BUIDCo). The money was released to PMC for the Solid Waste Management Project. With the work still incomplete, the same has been handed over to BUIDCo and they will complete it now. The file regarding the same has been sent to the chief minister for approval and it is expected soon,” department minister Samrat Choudhary said.

The minister said BUIDCo would be asked to finish the tendering process and start off the project immediately.

“Work on the project has still not been completed by PMC. The department wants the project initiated in Patna with immediate effect and expects BUIDCo to work on the same,” the minister said.

The department’s move comes only days after chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said PMC had failed to address the city’s waterlogging problem.

With many areas of Patna witnessing severe waterlogging for days together following heavy rains on August 13 and 14, Manjhi had, on August 21, spit fire at the PMC, stating that no work had been carried in PMC because of internal conflict, while people faced difficulties. Manjhi had said that the state government had given PMC Rs 27 crore to purchase equipment and carry out other sanitation works in the city but it could not spend it. The chief minister expressed shock that PMC could not even cover manholes in the city and it had resulted in unfortunate deaths too.

“Of the Rs 27 crore (provided by state government), in the past seven years, PMC was able to spend just Rs 4 crore. The rest of the amount, which is meant for the solid waste management project, is still lying unused and Patna residents had to go through severe water logging for days altogether. The decision is due to the same,” the minister said.

The PMC had said earlier that the amount (Rs 27 crore) was meant for the solid waste management project, which included purchase of equipment and door-to-door waste collection.

The PMC had said that the bidding for the project was in the final stages. Before this, the state cabinet in the last week had decided to separate the planning and sanitation wings of the corporation.