A foul contract, at BEST

The scheme was announced nearly ten months ago and tenders were invited for the boxes six months later. But the deals had not been finalised due to procedural delays. According to Raja, due to increasing demand and pressure from the public, the BEST gave three orders nearly a month ago to Variety Timber Mart to manufacture the boxes on a large scale.

“The total amount to be spent on the boxes will be around Rs 56 lakh, which is well beyond the purview of the administration,” said Raja. As per the rules, the GM is authorised tospend up to Rs 10 lakh, while the committee deals with purchases above Rs 10 lakh and upto Rs two crore. Purchase above Rs two crore needs Mayer-in- Council ratification Raja said the administration divided the purchase into parts in such a way that the amount spent on each part is less than Rs 10 lakh. “But even the quality of boxes supplied is bad. Ordinary wood has been used to make the boxes, instead of the stipulated teak wood,” he alleged. He felt the boxes wouldn’t survive the monsoon and would prove to be a safety risk for slumdwellers.

Taking serious note of the allegation, committee members have demanded an explanation from the administration. BEST committee chairman Arvind Nerkar asked the GM Vinay Mohan Lal to look into the matter and give his reply at the next meeting.

The scheme had been in the news immediately after it was introduced in September 1997, when slumdwellers were asked to pay Rs 2,000 per connection. After a lot of discussion in the committee meetings, the connectioncharges were brought down to Rs 150, the normal rate for all domestic connections.