Manesar MC slaps Rs 9-crore penalty on sanitation contractor over irregularities

The standing sanitation committee of the Manesar Municipal Corporation (MCM) has imposed a penalty of Rs 9.2 crore on local sanitation contractor Akanksha Enterprises for irregularities in road cleaning services.

The firm had made headlines last month after accusing a former MCM commissioner of corruption, following the imposition of an earlier penalty. While the commissioner was subsequently transferred, a special committee was appointed to review the contractor’s bills and actual work on the ground. According to the committee’s report — a copy of which is with The Tribune — the contractor failed to deploy the agreed number of sanitation workers and submitted inflated bills.

Despite raising invoices totalling Rs 13.17 crore for the period from February to May 2025, the contractor was penalised Rs 9.17 crore. The agency was contracted for road sweeping, drain desilting and bush uprooting.

“The agency has submitted a bill amounting to Rs 13,17,61,332. However, after detailed verification of actual deployment of machinery and manpower, a total deduction/penalty of Rs 9,17,92,267 has been imposed,” the report states.

It adds that the current payment is provisional and based solely on verified deployment. “This shall not be construed as a waiver of any deficiencies, contractual breaches, or previously imposed penalties. The matter remains under detailed examination by the competent authority,” it says.

The penalisation has drawn praise from local Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), who are demanding further investigation.

“The MCM must review ground realities before releasing any payment. Rs 4 crore for three months of sweeping is still inflated. There’s been no visible work. The contractor, when penalised earlier, cried corruption — but has remained inefficient throughout. We demand blacklisting of such agencies and appointment of reliable contractors to prevent Manesar from turning into another Bandhwari,” read a statement by the United Association of New Gurugram.

The contractor is reportedly planning to appeal the penalty, although no formal request had been submitted till the time of filing this report.