Turf wars between ministers and MLAs in the BJP government and between BBMP and four politically-connected contractors who are said to control the garbage contract system are behind the city’s garbage woes, Deccan Chronicle has learnt.
While the contractors are allegedly holding up efforts to modernise the system, ministers and MLAs are suddenly exhibiting a “not-in-my-backyard” syndrome. Long lines of garbage-filled trucks have been sent to Mandur and Chintamani, but they can’t dump their loads in either place. Health minister and Mahadevapura MLA Aravind Limbavali has taken on deputy chief minister R. Ashok and opposed the dumping of waste at Mandur, which is part of his constituency. BBMP had to halt its trucks after the locals protested on Monday. The other site, a property in Chintamani, is out of bounds after independent MLA D. Sudhakar, who represents the constituency, opposed it. People in villages leading to Chintamani have stopped the garbage trucks from passing through, leading to another deadlock.
While Bengalureans are asking why the city still does not have a more scientific disposal method, the truth, BBMP sources said, is that a clique of four garbage contractors had stymied the Palike’s efforts to modernise the system and make it more transparent. Highly placed sources in the Palike alleged that the contractors — Ganesh Reddy, Gopinath Reddy, Venkatesh Reddy and Balasubramanyam — enjoy clout across political parties.
Interestingly, the sources said, the present problem cropped up only after BBMP decided to invite global tenders for garbage disposal, a move that would deprive the four contractors of this lucrative business.