Cuttack, March 11: The municipal corporation today decided not to renew its agreement with Hyderabad-based Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd engaged in solid waste management here following allegations that the tender was earlier fixed by gangster siblings Sushant and Sushil Dhal Samant.
It is also suspected that few local labour contractors working for Ramky had links with Bhola Bhagat, one of the key associates of the gangster brothers. Bhagat had signed the rent agreement for the house in Bhubaneswar from where the gangster siblings were arrested on January 28, and he has been absconding since then, police said.
The corporation had signed a five-year agreement with Ramky for solid waste management and mechanical sweeping of roads in 2011.
"As the Ramky officials failed to comply with the criteria in solid waste management system under the Swachch Bharat Misssion, the council today decided not to renew the private player's agreement," said mayor Minakshee Behera. The contract with Ramky would expire on April 30.
The police also decided to review old kidnapping and missing cases to ascertain the involvement of the gangster brothers in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Police commissioner Y.B. Khurania said: "We are looking into the old cases and if any prima facie evidence is found, the court will be urged to reopen the cases."
In another development, Markatnagar police produced Asesh alias Bulu Mohanty, who was arrested for his links with the gangster brothers last night, before court today.
Surplus budget
The Cuttack Municipal Corporation today passed its revised draft budget proposal of Rs 486.40 crore for the current fiscal at a special meeting of the council.
The Cuttack Municipal Corporation's proposal comes in the wake of its Bhubaneswar counterpart's Rs 685.22 crore budget passed on February 29. It marked an increase of Rs 184.51 crore on the last year's budget.
The corporation has prepared a surplus budget of Rs 112 crore as it is keen on all-round development with special emphasis on the wards that lack basic civic amenities, including road connectivity, said deputy mayor Ajay Barik.
Barik, who is also the chairman of taxation, finance and accounts standing committee of the civic body, said the total projected receipts had been estimated at Rs 335.12 crore, while the expenditure would be around Rs 373.78 crore during the 2016-17 fiscal.
A civic body official said an allocation of Rs 10.93 crore has been made under the category of public health, sanitation and medical services in the 2016-17 budget.
The corporation has allocated 30 per cent more towards procurement of anti-larvicide oil for mosquito control, purchase of medicines and maintenance of sanitation. Around Rs 8.22 crore was spent under this head in 2014-15.
In this year's budget estimate, the corporation has allocated Rs 18.25 crore under public convenience that includes improvement of roads, drainage systems and street lights. The allocation is nearly Rs 5 crore more this year as Rs 14.28 crore was spent in 2014-15.
On February 29, though the draft budget proposals were presented before the council, it could not be passed following protests by Opposition parties.
"Over 75 per cent of the civic body's projected receipts will come from various government grants, including its share from the entry tax and other sources, while there is no focus on increasing the revenue collection," said BJP councillor Nirod Panda.
The Congress alleged that the budget proposals were unrealistic as no officials had either taken into account or studied the difference between the projected receipts and expenditure with actual receipt and expenditures incurred in last three years.
