The Ranchi Municipal Corporation top brass on Thursday hurriedly concluded a special meeting called to draw up plans to keep the city clean during the festive season when councillors alleged corruption in a contract, even as residents complained of chronic civic inaction.
Councillors demanded termination of the contract awarded to Singhal Enterprises. The company had constructed the Atal Smriti Vending Market at Jaipal Singh stadium where roadside vendors were given a permanent space. Around five months ago, the RMC granted the building’s maintenance contract to the company for one year at Rs 12.5 lakh per month.
“This is a brazen case of corruption,” said Om Prakash, councillor of ward number 27. “The company is supposed to provide free maintenance of the building for a period of one year. RMC officials claimed that the company will also maintain cleaning work. In Rs 12.50 lakh we can manage civic amenities of at least three wards a month. Terms and condition of the tender were designed in such a way that only Singhal Enterprises could qualify.”
Mayor Asha Lakra and her deputy Sanjeev Vijayvargiya called the allegation baseless. Amid commotion, the mayor terminated the meeting.
The deputy mayor claimed a number of decisions were taken regarding civic work during the festive period.
“In Ranchi there are 151 puja pandals where safai (cleanliness) workers will be deployed,” he said. “A coordination committee will be formed whose members will be the local councillor and puja organisers. On October 1, the RMC will publish a list of all such puja pandals. The RMC will ensure day and night cleaning around the puja venue. Right after Durga Puja we will start cleaning work of ponds for Chhath.
“As far as allegations of councillors are concerned, the RMC is ready for inquiry if they lodge a complaint in writing,” Vijayvargiya added.
The man on the street, meanwhile, has been at the receiving end of evidently shoddy civic body work.
“For five months the approach road of our locality is flooded with drain water,” said Bhartendu Kumar Jha, a resident of Vidyapatinagar under ward number two. “RMC officials don’t respond to our calls and messages. ”
Pawan Kumar, who runs a shop on the stretch, recently suffered an electric shock; there is an electric transformer on the stretch.
“This has become den of mosquito and water-borne diseases,” said Amit Kumar Mishra, another resident. “Our wells have become polluted and they stink so much that we can’t even use the water to wash our clothes.”
The situation at Pragati Path in Chutia locality on the border of wards 13 and 14 is another case in point.
“Drainage construction was started five years back but only half of it was done. Drain water and sewage spills onto the road. We had complained a number of times. Now we feel ashamed of complaining again and again,” said Dhiraj Kumar. “The RMC is a thick-skinned, not-so-civic body.”
Rambalak Rajak, who lives on Balkrishna Sahay Lane besides Jaipal Singh Stadium, said garbage is seldom collected from the locality.
“Parts of our locality fall under wards 18 and 20 and councillors of both wards keep passing the buck. RMC’s claim of cleanliness collapses here,” said Rajak.
A senior RMC official conceded that complaints about civic amenities are common.
“We have 2,300 safai workers to manage 53 wards. There are a number of flooded stretches — due to either poor or no drainage system. The RMC has floated tender to hire companies to maintain civic amenities. During the festival period we will try to keep all of Ranchi clean,” said the official, requesting anonymity.