Bengaluru waste revamp stumbles as few bidders accept work orders
BSWML's plan to overhaul Bengaluru's waste collection faces delays as most bid winners have not accepted work orders and eight packages are in court.
The Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) is encountering hurdles in its effort to revamp the city's garbage collection system, with only six of the 21 bid winners having accepted the work orders approved by the State Cabinet.
According to BSWML Chief Executive Officer Karee Gowda, eight packages have been challenged in court, while seven have been accepted. For the seven rejected packages, the agency has floated fresh tenders.
The setback comes as the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has been tightening rules to reform waste collection in the city. The new tenders had mandated several requirements, including GPS tracking and vehicles with higher capacity for waste collection.
BSWML had planned 33 waste collection packages covering 28 Assembly constituencies and issued tenders for 21 packages. After the bidding process, the details of the lowest bidders and the tenders were sent to the Cabinet, which had set up a committee to assess the cost. The Cabinet suggested revisions to the tenders, which were incorporated before final approval.
With the latest challenges, the agency's aim of establishing strict accountability through close monitoring of the collection system has run into fresh obstacles.