Waste mgmt plant inches towards reality

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 7

Unmindful of the protests lodged by the residents of Bhagtanwala, the Municipal Corporation carried on with its exercise to pave way for the setting up of solid waste management plant today.

A team of civic body officials, headed by Municipal Commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal, opened the technical bid of the Mumbai-based firm, Ess Ell Infrastructure, here today.

Ess Ell is the only firm, which is vying for the project, as the UK-based firm, Eco Worldwide Waste Management Private Ltd Company, which had also evinced interest in the project, was disqualified in the first stage.

There are three stages for bagging the project —qualifying, technical and financial. The work can be awarded to the firm, which fulfils conditions at all the stages. Ess Ell Infrastructure has submitted its technical bid.

Officials said the parameters demanded that the firm, which wanted to take up the project, should have undertaken similar work worth Rs 55 crore or two projects worth Rs 27 crore each.

The Municipal Corporation’s Assistant Commissioner, Dr Charanjit Singh, said the technical bids were opened today. Documents regarding the firm’s technical capability have been handed over to consultants appointed by the Punjab government for scrutinisation, he added.

He said, “The consultants will prepare their report, which is expected to reach us by May 11. After getting a green signal from their side, we will proceed for the financial bid the next day, which will be the final stage ahead of awarding the work. There, we will observe the rates quoted by the firm. If it suits our plan, the work will be awarded to the company in fray.”

It has been learnt that the MC is anticipating to sign the letter of intent (LoI) by May 15.

The MC has already reserved Rs 20 crore for the project as an incentive given by the state government and another grant of Rs 25 crore is expected to arrive from the Centre under the Swachch Bharat Abhiyan.

According to the plan, this plant sanctioned under the JNNURM will cost around Rs 109 crore. It has been designed to handle 600 to 700 metric tonnes of garbage, being generated daily by the residents and the small-scale industry located in Amritsar, besides in Tarn Taran, Jandiala and Patti. A 25-acre plot has been demarcated for setting up the plant at Bhagtanwala.