‘Single-contractor system not helping’

MUMBAI: Corporators from suburbs have questioned Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) move of appointing a single contractor to collect garbage from four wards.

The corporators questioned single-contractor system after heaps of garbage was found lying on the roads.

Vidyavarthi Singh, corporator, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Borivli, said, “I clicked photos of heaps of garbage on the streets on Tuesday afternoon. This single-contractor system is not working.”

The civic body had recently appointed a single all-inclusive contractor to pick up the garbage from four wards.

The BMC recently appointed a single contractor in R-north (Dahisar), R-central (Borivli and Gorai), R-south (Kandivli, Charkop and Poisar) and T ward (Mulund) as a pilot test.

However, according to the local corporators, the test failed.

Kamlesh Yadav, corporator, BJP, Kandivli, said, “This single-contractor system is not only leading to an unhygienic city but also corruption.”

On November 16, conservancy workers employed with the BMC called off a strike after the civic body agreed to their demands. The workers claimed they were allegedly asked to work as sweepers after the contractor took over. The change in designation has affected their pay scale, said the workers.

A senior official from the solid waste management (SWM) department, requesting anonymity, said, “We will make sure the loaders are not jobless. We will provide them with some related jobs.”