The BBMP’s third attempt to reboot the waste collection system, controlled by the garbage mafia, has received a setback with the Karnataka High Court ordering that the ward delimitation exercise be redone.
Despite working on the proposal for almost a year, the civic body's plan did not start due to an increase in the BBMP wards from 198 to 243. It is highly probable that the civic body will need to issue a fresh tender.
Revamping the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike's waste collection system was considered necessary since the civic body currently engages different companies on an ad-hoc basis through what it calls a "service order." The fresh attempt is also seen as a major test for the officials, given the unsuccessful tender processes for waste collection contracts over the past 15 years.
The BBMP currently spends around Rs 600 crore annually and uses varying criteria to make payments to contractors responsible for waste disposal services. Some wards were found to spend as much as Rs 35 lakh per month, while most others spend Rs 20 lakh for the same service. The new system was expected to put an end to the notorious 'garbage mafia' that dominates Bengaluru.
Senior officials said the civic body has completed all the tender formalities and is awaiting government approval. "If the government plans to redraw the ward boundaries, we may have to issue a fresh tender," an official said.
In January, when the BBMP issued the third tender, the work was divided into 89 packages covering 243 wards, including a total of 42 lakh houses and commercial establishments. The estimated cost of the five-year contract was Rs 590 crore annually, roughly Rs 20 lakh per month per ward.