Gratuity arrears: CMO red flags MBMC’s garbage lifting tender

Mumbai: The controversial garbage lifting and transportation tender floated by the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has hit a hurdle as the Chief Minister's office (CMO)  has directed the civic administration to put an immediate stop to the ongoing tender process due to the alleged non-payment of gratuity to the workforce deployed by the existing contractual agency.

The orders followed in response to a complaint filed by Shramjeevi Sanghatana chief- Vivek Pandit in context to non-payment of gratuity to the workforce deployed by the existing contractual agency. In 2012, the MBMC had inked a five year contract with Global Waste Management Company, to lift garbage from the twin-city and ferry it to the dump yard in Uttan. The agency has been on-extension mode since the expiry of the tender last year.  

As per rules, workers are eligible for gratuity if they have worked continuously for five years or more. If the contractor does not pay gratuity then the principal employer is liable to pay, which it can recover by deducting payments from the bills raised by the contractor later. The MBMC has recently floated tenders inviting expressions of interest from companies for the garbage lifting work.  While 20, June is the last date of submission, the tender process and the pre-bid was put on hold after CMO directions, due to gratuity arrears amounting nearly rs 7 crore.

“To ensure that waste is sent to the processing unit in a segregated manner , modalities to appoint an agency  have to be completed as per schedule. Attempts were on to resolve the issue." confirmed deputy civic chief Dr Sambhajji Panpatte.  The twin-city generates an average of 450 metric tonnes of garbage per day.

The company claims to have deployed 79 compactor vehicles and 1599 sanitary workers in the six demarcated zones. However, the actual ground work is being done by local sub-contractors who have been roped in for the job.

The scope of work for the multi-crore contract  envisages-daily sweeping, cleaning of roads, gutters, pavements, markets, door to door collection and transportation of dry-wet waste separately  as per the Municipal Solid Waste Rules, 2016.