BMC to impose Rs 1,000 fine on clean-up marshals if area found dirty

“The new norms are being brought in for better accountability following many complaints,” an officer from the solid waste management department said.

With the tenure of existing contractors ending in December last year, the civic body is now seeking a year-long contract.

Of the 39 contractors appointed in June 2017, four were blacklisted. Thirty-five agencies will now appoint 30 marshals in 24 wards each. Clean-up marshals are appointed for 753 public and high-footfall areas across the city.

In addition to the fines on marshals, the BMC is also planning to pull up their agencies. For each authentic complaint against marshals, the civic body has proposed Rs 10,000 fine on the agency in first instance, with the amount likely to go up to 20,000 on the second and Rs 30,000 from the third instance. In case of a fourth authentic complaint, the agency will be blacklisted for seven years and it will also forfeit the security deposit of Rs 5 lakh.

The scheme, which began in 2007, was discontinued in 2011 following complaints that clean-up marshals were extorting money from tourists and not issuing receipts. It was reintroduced in July 2016, with the BMC inviting bids to deploy 30 marshals in each of the 24 wards.