It is yet another example of tax-payers’ money going down the drain. A hi-tech sweeping equipment bought for around Rs 16 lakh by Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, wasn’t used for even, well, 16 days.
The Palike bought the equipment in 2003-04 to sweep the main roads, especially the fly-overs. But after a few days of use, it was put in the cold storage. Since then it has been lying idle at Dasappa Hospital premises in Town Hall Circle.
Former mayor P R Ramesh, in whose tenure the machine was purchased, said the Palike thought of having mechanical sweeping machines to keep the roads clean and many companies had been invited to demonstrate their machines. “After taking technical opinion”, the Palike purchased only one machine.
Mr Ramesh, however, does not remember how much money was paid for the machine. “It was bought with a good intention. It’s compact and fast in sweeping. When we bought it, it was being used widely in European countries,” he said.
Narasaram Rao, assistant executive engineer of the solid waste management cell, said that though the machine was purchased by the cell, it was handed over to the Health Department for maintenance. “But I have never seen it being used at any time,” he said.
True but sad!
Such equipment are purchased by the engineering division of the cell. Mr Ananthaswamy, chief engineer of Dasarahalli zone and then executive engineer of the division, told Deccan Herald that he also didn’t remember the price paid. “It is sad that it was not used regularly or maintained properly,” he said.
Surprisingly, Health officials, who handle collection of municipal waste, are also not aware of the equipment. Chief Health Officer Dr Gayathri said she did not even know that such a machine had been bought by the Palike.  However, according to solid waste management contractors association general secretary S N Balasubramanya, the machine was bought for Rs 16 lakh and it was hardly seen on roads even for a week. “The machine had a right-hand driving system. There was no one in the Palike to drive it,” he said.