Yamunanagar MC releases Rs 50 lakh to private firm facing probe

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, October 3

Girish Arora, Commissioner of Municipal Corporation, Yamunanagar-Jagadhri, has ordered release of a part payment to a garbage disposal company facing allegations of fudging figures.

On September 29, he ordered release of Rs 50 lakh to the company.

Councillors alleged the company showed in its record that Yamunanagar and Jagadhri were generating 200 to 250 tonne of garbage a day. They claimed the figure was wrong because the two cities were generating not more than 60 tonne of garbage.

The company had, on April 29, signed a contract with the MC to collect garbage from houses, segregate it and then transport it to the solid waste treatment plant in Kail village for Rs 690 a tonne. The contract is for two years.

In its report to the MC, the company said it collected 8,941 tonne (298 tonne a day) in June, 8,995 tonne (290 tonne a day) in July and 7,728 tonne (249 tonne every day) in August.

The company submitted bills for Rs 1.77 crore for three months.

Deputy Commissioner SS Phulia had, on September 16, formed a three-member probe committee headed by Shaleen, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC).

Sources said Bharat Bhushan Kaushik, Joint Commissioner, MC, did not consent to clear the payment.

“So far as part payment of Rs 50 lakh to the company is concerned, it is not desirable to make part payment till the conclusion of inquiry,” the Joint Commissioner had remarked in its September 29 order.

Commissioner, Girish Arora said, “The part payment was released without violating any norm. The purpose is to clear salaries of employees of the company, to deposit their instalment of EPF and ESI and fuel bills.”