Bengaluru: Mayor Sampath Raj has called for a probe by the Technical Vigilance Committee under the Commissioner (TVCC) into the missing of twin dust bins across the city. During the BBMP council meeting on Wednesday, corporators cutting across different parties raised the issue of missing dust bins. Commotion prevailed as the BJP corporators alleged misappropriation of funds while installing twin dust bins.
BBMP Joint Commissioner (Health) Sarfaraz Khan left the council hall without replying to the queries raised in the council as the BJP corporators repeatedly kept asking questions without giving him a chance to respond. Upset over Khan’s behaviour BJP corporators called for disciplinary action against him stating that he disrespected the council and also alleged that leaving the council midway gives rise to the suspicion of possible misappropriation in procurement of 100 dust bins at a cost of Rs 53 crore.
Opposition leader in the council Padmanabha Reddy demanded an unconditional apology from Khan. Later, Khan replied to the queries as per the directions from the Mayor.
Khan said that the twin bins have been implemented as per the directions from the state government and the same has been brought to the attention of the BBMP council before obtaining approval. If the council decides to do away with these bins they would be removed after bringing the same to the notice of the state government, Khan replied.
BJP corporator Shanta Kumari said in 2005 door-to-door garbage collection system was introduced to do away with the concept of ugly looking bins. Why should they be reintroduced after door-to-door garbage collection is being implemented effectively, she questioned.
Mid-day meal for Pourakarmikas
Padmanabha Reddy raised the issue of pourakarmikas not being paid for the last five months. He said that it was known on checking the rolls that only 15 thousand pourakarmikas were getting salary from the BBMP.
However, BBMP was serving mid-day meals for pourakarmikas to 33,000 people. Is there a misappropriation of funds, he observed .
As many as 15,474 pourakarmikas are drawing salary from the BBMP and '27 crore is spent every month. Including 8,000 drivers who drive garbage vehicles the total number comes up to 23 thousand. Such being the case how can mid day meal to provided to 33,000 people, he questioned.
Many pourakarmikas have not been paid for several months. How can the BBMP expect them to work? Garbage has not been cleared in several places at Kacharakanahalli ward and they have turned into an eyesore, he said.
Replying on the issue, the Mayor said that a meeting will be held on Thursday and the problem of pourakarmikas will be resolved, he assured.
‘Love and arranged marriage’
Mocking at the coalition between Congress and JD(S) at urban local body level and state government level, BJP corporator cum MLA Poornima Srinivas said the love marriage at the BBMP level has been elevated to arranged marriage at assembly level!
Padmanabha Reddy quipped that it was not an arranged marriage but an ‘accidental marriage’.
In reply, the Mayor assured that whether love or arranged, the affairs will run smoothly.
