BMC, BEST fight quot;cold warquot;

Two-and-a-half years ago, a 26-hectare plot at the Govandi dumping ground had been sanctioned to BEST for setting up a power generation plant. The land had earlier been reserved as a city park, so the BMC got it changed to an industrial zone, which meant sanction to the BEST for power generation.

However, succumbing to protests that the power generation plant would pollute the locality, the BMC last month handed over the plot to a private company for converting garbage into compost.

This has irked BEST committee members, who said the BMC didn8217;t seek theirpermission before changing the reservation of the plot. They also wondered if the BEST administration had shelved its plan to build a power generation plant, since it did not immediately lodge a protest in this regard and kept the committee members in the dark.

Nerkar said additional municipal commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad had later informed the BEST that it was not possible to give the plot for power generation, as it would increase pollution. 8220;Why did the administration not inform the committee members about the changes on time?8221; he questioned.

The BEST administration informed that the undertaking had already prepared the terms of reference for the project, and as soon as the BEST would get possession of land, a consultant would be appointed for preparation of a feasibility report and a detailed project report.

But though BEST general manager Vinay Mohan Lal explained the present situation to all committee members, they weren8217;t convinced of the administration8217;s intentions. Nerkar said if theadministration didn8217;t want to take any decision about power generation, the Mayor-in-Council would sort out the issue. His statement was backed by all committee members.

The second point of contention was the awarding of a tender to a Government of India firm for disposing scrap. Objecting to this, Nerkar said all tenders should be placed before the BEST committee. When Lal explained that the municipal commissioner had the right to dispense tenders up to Rs 10 lakh on his own, all the committee members opposed it. According to them, 8220;The commissioner only has the right to dispense tenders up to Rs 10 lakh, but it is necessary to invite tenders for it, and all tenders should be brought before the committee.8221;

Lal explained that since the company was owned by the government, there was no need to invite tenders. But the committee members opposed this, and Nerkar quickly pointed out, 8220;A government undertaking does not necessarily always quote correctly.8221; The issue will again be debated some time later.