Cash-starved MC all set to buy new road-sweeping machines

Ramkrishan Upadhyay 

Tribune news service 

Chandigarh, February 25

The cash-strapped Municipal Corporation here is all set to buy three new road-sweeping machines by declaring the existing ones as condemned. The machines have already turned out to be white elephant due to their high cost of maintenance. 

Sources said a proposal for taking the decision on the purchase of new machines would be placed before the MC House during a meeting scheduled for tomorrow.

In the agenda, prepared by the Medical Officer Health (MOH), the details of the inspection report of the Italy-based company, Dulevo India Private Limited, has been attached. 

The report mentions two options. In the first, the company suggested that the three machines can be overhauled at an estimated cost of 60,000 euros per machine, excluding freight, customs duty and other taxes. After overhauling, the machines could be used for another five years.

Secondly, the company stated that the 10-year-old machines could be valued at 15 per cent of their procurement value, which comes to 27,000 euros, provided that these are in working condition. The company offered to adjust the amount of 27,000 euros per machine on procurement of new machines.

After examining the two proposals, the MOH concluded that the first option was not financially viable while the second option is not covered under the General Financial Rules of the Indian government as these do not provide for exchange of machines. 

In case the MC decides to purchase machines, it will have to invite bids.

Former councillor Chandra Mukhi Sharma said the MC should not purchase new machines as the old machines never served their purpose. 

The three machines were purchased in 2008 after the House approved a proposal for their purchase in 2007. The machines had cost the MC more than Rs 5 crore. Since then, the civic body has been spending lakhs annually on their maintenance. Around Rs 15 lakh were spent on their brooms. Out of the three machines, one caught fire last year and the other two are in the need of repairs.