Cuttack: The local civic body is now all set to implement its long-awaited Integrated Solid Waste Management Project, 2016, as Orissa High Court has found nothing foul in its tender process.

The Cuttack Municipal Corporation had not been able to award the five-year contract to New Delhi-based Metro Waste Handling Private Limited that had emerged as lowest bidder as the high court had imposed interim restrictions on it on February 12 after the validity of the civic body's tender process was challenged.

One of the bidders - Jagruti Welfare Organisation, Bhubaneswar, - had challenged the civic body's decision disqualifying it in the technical bid stage.

Giribala Behera, a Congress councillor from ward No. 4, had by way of a PIL sought quashing of finalisation of tender with a lowest bid that had come on over budget.

But finally, the high court endorsed the tender process on Friday and gave a clean chit to the civic body, paving the way for implementation of the project.

"Now that the high court has given its stamp of approval, the contract can be awarded to Metro Waste Handling Private Limited for implementation of the Integrated Solid Waste Management Project," municipal commissioner Bikash Ranjan Mohapatra told The Telegraph on Saturday.

"The contract will be formally given to the lowest bidder after receiving the approval from the government which had been held up due to the interim stay order imposed by the high court," Mohapatra said.

As per the tender process finalised, Metro Waste Handling Private Limited will take charge of the city's garbage collection and disposal at an estimated cost of around Rs 208 crore for five years.

"The payment will be made at the rate of Rs 5,700 per tonne of garbage collected and disposed. The per day garbage disposal of Cuttack city had been estimated at 200 tonnes," the municipal commissioner said.

Early implementation of the Integrated Solid Waste Management Project, 2016, had become imperative as this is the Cuttack Municipal Corporation's second attempt to complete the tender for it after the high court invalidated the first attempt.

Chairman of the CMC's standing committee for sanitation Ranjan Kumar Biswal said: "Implementation of the project is expected to streamline solid waste management in the city that is now being continued under an ad-hoc arrangement."