Over 300 bidders turn up to grab garbage contracts

Over 300 bidders have participated in tenders to collect waste from houses and commercial establishments in the city.

Barring Bommanahalli and RR Nagar, the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) received more than two bids seen as competitive for all 89 packages covering 243 BBMP wards. The process is a test for the newly formed waste collection entity since awarding contracts for waste collection through tender did not succeed in the last 15 years.

Documents accessed by DH showed three bidders on average participated in each of the 89 packages.

One package would cover two to three wards. Condition stipulates that only one agency would qualify for one package even if it emerges the lowest bidder in multiple packages.

Two tenders such as Package 51 (MG Palya, HSR-Singasandra and Rupena Agrahara) and Package 52 (Hongasandra, Bommanahalli and Devarachikkanahalli) have received a solitary bid from the same firm — Sri Annapoorneshwari Associates.

A tender on package 82 in RR Nagar (Sir M Vishweshwaraiah and Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar Park) received a single bid. BSWML may have to re-tender these packages due to poor response.

In a sign of tough competition, package 89 (Doddabommasandra, Vidyaranyapura and Kuvempunagara), Package 58 (Begur and Naganathapura) and Package 14 (Kaval Byrasandra, Kushal Nagar and Muneshwara Nagar) received six bidders each.

Last week, the high court dismissed a batch of petitions filed by some contractors challenging certain conditions prescribed by the BSWML for the collection and transportation of solid waste in Bengaluru. The court had stated that none of the conditions were found arbitrary or unreasonable to warrant its interference.

BBMP Garbage Contractors’ Association president S N Balasubramanian said it is the first major attempt to bring a waste collection system under the tender process.

“Many attempts were made but none of them were successful. Majority of the works are given through supply orders due to the absence of a tender system. Some wards are charging as much as Rs 35 lakh for the same work that other wards are doing for just Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh,” he said.

BSWML CEO Harish Kumar said the bids are currently evaluated to assess the technical background.

“Once the new system is in place, we will be taking the help of residents’ welfare associations and non-profit organisations to create awareness about waste segregation,” he said.