Irregularities alleged in waste mangement

Mr J. Daniel, a resident of Vellalore and member of the committee, said in his petition that the corporation has spent more than Rs 53.44 crore towards removal and transportation of garbage and solid waste management in the yard.

It has spent the whopping amount in the last three-and-a-half years till August 2014 for the solid waste management project. The information on the amount incurred waste management has been obtained by Mr Daniel under the Right to Information Act.

Of the total '53.44 crore, it has spent '20 crore towards transportation of garbage and the remaining amount, for processing. “However, the civic body has failed to ensure that the private firms, which were entrusted with the job, segregated the waste into degradable and non-degradable, made manure with the degradable waste and processed the non-degradable waste into rejects for landfill and recyclable waste. They simply dump tonnes of waste at the yard,” he alleged.

Mr Daniel also said the civic body did not have any details, when queried through RTI, on the quantity of garbage made into manure or recycled on a daily basis.

“This strengthens our belief that irregularities have occurred in the waste management process. The tax payers’ money has not been utilised in a rightful manner. Hence, the officials should investigate the issue and take necessary action, if any irregularities were found,” he said.

A copy of the petition has been sent to Mr K. Phanindra Reddy, chief secretary of municipal administration and water supply department, collector Archana Patnaik and corporation commissioner S. Ganesh.