A water tanker. File picture

Jan. 5: With proposals flowing in from the private sector, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation is considering the Swiss challenge approach to get the best of offers.

The Swiss challenge approach refers to suo moto proposals received by the government from private parties. Under this approach, the private sector furnishes details of its technical, financial and managerial capabilities, commercial viability of the project or programme and other details relating to expectation of government support and concessions. The Planning Commission has already approved this approach.

“We have got a couple of offers from private companies in the water sector. We are looking at them and a decision will be taken soon,” a GMC official said today.

The corporation is looking at water supply through tankers and is considering the option of giving it to the best party under the Swiss challenge approach.

The official said the government would examine the proposals and if these are in line with the declared policy of priorities, it may invite counter proposals after serving adequate notice, in the spirit of the Swiss challenge approach.

“In the event of a better proposal, the original proponent is given the opportunity to modify the original proposal. Finally, the better of the two is awarded the project for execution,” he added.

The official said the advantage with the Swiss challenge approach was its transparency. The project will be awarded through a competitive bidding process in which no bidder will have a predefined advantage. The approach also provides companies with considerable incentives to propose new ideas. “If a company is able to propose a sufficiently innovative idea, the company is likely to get the contract. However, the system also allows other companies to submit a better proposal within a proposed time and hence this system allows a competitive platform for every one,” the official said.

Two projects — solid waste management and development of municipal plots — have been awarded under the public-private partnership model by the GMC. “We have experience in dealing with big companies now and know what they want. It looks that the Swiss challenge will be beneficial to us,” the official added.