MC Commissioner seeks explanation from JBM firm

Mukesh Tandon

Tribune News Service

Panipat, November 15

The Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Panipat (MCP), has sought explanation from JBM company, a private company — engaged for lifting and collection of garbage from door to door— for reportedly collecting double-user charges from residents in Ward 10 of the city.

Notably, the Urban Local Bodies Department has allotted the tender of garbage lifting and door to door collection in the areas of Municipal Corporation Panipat and Sonepat and Municipal committee Samalkha and Gannaur to the JBM environment management, a Gurugram-based company in 2018, during the previous regime of the BJP government.

The company started working in Panipat in February 2018. From the beginning, the company was in controversy over tardy lifting of garbage and poor cleanliness in the city here. JBM company was the main issue in all General House meetings of the corporation.

A new issue related to JBM company again come up when the residents of Ward 10 caught some employees of JBM company collecting extra money from the residents. As per sources, Rs 30 has been fixed for garbage collection but the employees of JBM were caught collecting Rs 60. The residents called Ward 10 councillor Ravinder Bhatia at the spot and gave a written complaint to Mayor Avneet Kaur and MC Commissioner RK Singh for initiating action against JBM company .

Ravinder Bhatia said JBM had been looting the residents for the past three years. Heaps of garbage could be seen everywhere. The company has failed to clean the city in the past three years while the MC is giving crores of rupees to it every month, he alleged.

Now, JBM has started collecting double money from the residents, he added. A complaint has been given to the Mayor and the MC Commissioner, he added.

RK Singh said, “I have sought an explanation from JBM company about the collection of double-user charges from the residents in Ward10 within 10 days. Appropriate action will be initiated against JBM after the investigation, he added.