MC terminates service of mechanical sweeping firm

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 17

Finally, the Municipal Corporation has ended the services of the company hired for mechanical sweeping on major roads and streets leading to the Golden Temple in the city. The company was outsourced by the SAD-BJP government three years ago. Health officials of the MC confirmed that they had issued the termination notice due to “irregular” services.

Dr Ajay Kanwar, Municipal Health Officer, said, “Even after the dispute over dues, we were paying monthly expenses to the company, but it often stopped work without any reason. So we have issued the termination notice due to poor services.”

The MC had hired the company in August 2016 for mechanical sweeping of roads stretching up to 109 km. There are 17 roads and streets that lead to the Golden Temple. The MC used to pay Rs 1.50 crore per month to the company. Following a financial crisis, MC officials had reduced the route from 109 km to 55 km in 2017.

According to the civic body, on November 6, when the MC was preparing for the celebrations of Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary, the company suspended the work. Before suspending the work, the firm claimed that it had Rs 8 crore pending toward the MC. However, civic body officials claimed that the company had hiked its per kilometer prices without their consent.

MC’s health wing has outsourced the sweepers to clean the major roads manually. Officials claimed that they got two sweeping machines while an order had been placed for the other equipment.

“The roads, including Mall Road, GT Road, FGS Road, Majitha Road and Battala Road, are being cleaned manually. Heritage and other streets nearby, leading to the Golden Temple, are being cleaned mechanically. There will be no compromise with sanitation,” said Dr Ajay Kanwar.