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10 solid waste plants not functional, PMC to recover ₹9.71 crore from firm
It is to be recalled that the same company, Ecoman Enviro Solutions Pvt Limited did the cartel for getting the tenders in PMC. HT had exposed severe strictures passed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on cartelisation and bid-rigging in the PMC in October 2017
At least ten thermal composting plants are non-functional in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits from the last five years. The civic body has now decided to recover Rs9.71 crore from Ecoman Enviro Solutions Pvt Limited and demanded 12 per cent interest on the amount.
The standing committee of the PMC had given nod to file a case of recovery from the concerned company.
It is to be recalled that the same company did the cartel for getting the tenders in PMC. HT had exposed severe strictures passed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on cartelisation and bid-rigging in the PMC in October 2017.
Hemant Rasne, chairman, standing committee, said, “The PMC had appointed Ecoman Enviro Solutions Pvt Limited for erecting ten thermal plants. It was expected that they would do processing on wet garbage and plants were erected at Peshwe Park, Ghole road and others, but they have failed to do so. It is decided that the company would do its operations and maintenance.”
“Standing committee has asked to recover Rs9.71 crore from the company as well the interest rate on the amount. PMC would file suit for it. The company erected eight plants of five metric tonnes per day capacity and the rest two plants have three metric tonnes per day capacity. But they are not functional, it is not able to do the process the garbage,” he said.
Civic activist Maj Gen (Retd) SCN Jatar filed a complaint with the Competition Commission of India (CCI). It then imposed a fine on the contractors for rigging the bid over five thermal composting plants.
The CCI in its final order has imposed a fine of ₹3.57 crores on six firms for colluding with PMC and undertaking bid-rigging while filing tenders for thermal composting garbage plants in 2014. The CCI conducted an enquiry on the basis of a complaint from Nagrik Chetna Manch, an NGO of alert citizen activists.
HT had reported in detail the nexus citing how the contractors and officers had telephonic conversations on multiple occasions and how the tender documents were uploaded from a computer belonging to the PMC.
The tenders pertained to the five thermal composting plants at various locations including Kharadi, Ghole Patil road and Peshwe Park, and were worth ₹14 crores. In their order, the commission observed that various individuals including the proprietor, partner and director of the firms coordinated to “rig the tenders by way of submitting proxy/cover bids.”
