Damning security, AMC contracts nepotism bug

AHMEDABAD, JAN 22: When it comes to security and money made from it, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation AMC corporators choose to keep it a...

AHMEDABAD, JAN 22: When it comes to security and money made from it, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation AMC corporators choose to keep it all in the family. Friends and relatives of civic body members take away as much as Rs 4 crore from the AMC every year. Reason: they run almost all security agencies employed by the AMC.

The corporation has appointed nine security agencies on contract basis8211;of these, seven belong to relatives and friends of municipal corporators or members. And although contracts of all nine agencies expired on March 31, 2000, the agencies continue to be on the AMC rolls.

Among those who have secured the contracts are Rajesh Patel, brother of mayor Himmatsinh Patel; Hasmukh Patel, who is Home Guards commandant and a known BJP supporter; Harish Bhatt, national general secretary of the Bajrang Dal; Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who was a school board member in the AMC until three months ago and is close to State BJP leaders; his cousin S S Shekhawat, who is a BJP member; and Lalit Rawal, an RSS member. Leader of the Opposition Dharmendra Shah is said to be a partner in Gujarat Security Service, which is also on contract with the AMC. However, Shah denied any stake in the security service.

8220;Yes, barring a couple of agencies all others are owned people holding positions in the AMC or their relatives and friends. This has hit the corporation8217;s efficiency,8221; a security official requesting anonymity said. He added that attempts to post 8220;neutral8221; security agencies at spots where party politics come into play have been met with stiff resistance in the past. 8220;No one can actually help this, because the standing committee finally decides who gets what contract,8221; another official said.

About 10 years ago, the corporation decided to do away with its own security and invited tenders from security agencies. About 2,000 security personnel are at present posted at the main building, zone offices, octroi posts, workshops and godowns, hospitals, maternity homes, illegal construction sites and other places run by the civic body.

But despite being paid lakhs, services provided by these agencies do not measure up. The recent incident where eight cabins in AMC premises were ransacked by BJP demonstrators in the presence of securitymen is a case in point. Vehicles are stolen from AMC hospital premises regularly. There have also been instances where, despite security being posted at illegal constructions, work continued due to connivance between agencies and politicians. Recently BJP councillors claimed that construction work was continuing on an illegal building at Vasna, regardless of the security. The security agency belonged to Bajrang Dal general secretary Harish Bhatt while the building belonged to a Congress leader, they alleged.

The corporation has allotted one zone to a security service in case of illegal constructions to 8220;ensure better co-ordiantion.8221; The East Zone has been allocated to Rainbow Security, North Zone to Rajdhani Security, South Zone to Shivam Security, West Zone to Shivam Security and Investigation Service and West Zone to Gujarat Security.

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Apart from these irregularities, octroi committee chairman Kishansinh Tomar has admitted that during recent rounds he found there were no guards at some octroi posts, while those who were present were dozing.

According to sources in the AMC, a re-tendering process for the security agencies has begun. Fresh tenders are likely to be sought by the civic body in a month8217;s time.

When asked why there was no re-tendering for 10 months, Deputy Municipal Commissioner A R Bhatt said the process of re-evaluating tenders is on. 8220;Some 40 agencies have applied and the performance of each has to be checked,8221; Bhatt told the Indian Express. He added that the process had to postponed as the elections came up in between.

On acquaintances or relatives of elected and appointed AMC members having bagged contracts, Bhatt said the AMC is only involved in the technical aspects and performance of the agency. 8220;For that matter even municipal councillors have businesses of their own,8221; he added.