the goan I network
MARGAO
Amidst uproar and demands by the opposition to strictly go by the conditions while awarding contract for door-to-door waste collection, the Margao Municipal Council headed by Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai has resolved to award the contract to a Fatorda-based self-help group (SHG)
on grounds that the Council will be in a better position to get works done from a local contractor.
In the bargain, the Council rejected the bids submitted by Haryana-based Bhargav group and a bidder from Bicholim, MS. That one of these two bidders quoted a rate of Rs 490 per worker also did not impress the ruling City Fathers, to reject the bid submitted by the Fatorda-based SHG, with the chairperson reassuring the Council that the SHG will be asked to match the rate of Rs 490 to avoid loss to the Council.
Though the contractor will take up door-to-door waste collection only in the seven wards falling in Fatorda, the MMC chairperson reassured the councillor that the civic body would soon float another tender to start door-to-door waste collection in all
the wards, saying the Sewage Corporation has already prepared the tender documents in this respect.
The MMC chairperson had to face a barrage of questions from the opposition led by Doris Texeira, who sought to know whether the Council would bend the bid conditions while shortlisting the contractor. Ruling councillor from Fatorda area, Peter Fernandes maintained that the
Council should opt for the local bidder to facilitate the civic body to exercise control over the contractor.
Doris fired another salvo when she questioned whether a SHG qualifies as a labour contractor when the tender has only invited labour contractors. Babita, however, maintained that a SHG could also qualify as a labour contractor.
Former Municipal Chairperson Arthur D’Silva also raked up the issue of the police complaint filed by the Council against the outgoing contractor Bapu Engineering Ltd, demanding to know from the chairperson the status of the case. Taken by surprise, the chairperson maintained that the ball lies in the court of the Margao police as the civic body has already lodged the complaint. She, however, said the Council cannot keep Bapu’s payments on hold, saying even the Director of Municipal Administration has told the civic body to release the payments if the contractor had carried out the work.
The MMC chairperson later told the media that there is no harm if the contract is awarded to a local bidder, even though the bidder turns out to be a self-help group.
When the media sought to know whether the self-help group will only employ Goan workers or would import labourers from Bihar given that the SHG is given the concession by the civic body, she said the Council will ensure that the SHG employs local labourers.
