Privatisation in a standstill

Newindpress, 12th April, 2008

BHAWANIPATNA: Privatisation of sanitation process in Bhawanipatna Municipality is not making any headway as the temporary daily-wage employees, who are working with the municipality, are reluctant to join the private party entrusted to take up the work.Bhawanipatna municipality, which is one of the oldest in the State, was given the status of municipality in 1951, but it is facing crisis of sanitation management. Shortage of sanitation staff is a big hindrance to manage 233-km road and 210-km drain of the town.At present, there are only 78 regular scavenger staffers and 21 temporary staffers. At least 70 percent of required staff posts are lying vacant and a ban has been imposed on new postings by Urban Development Department.As a result the drains are chocked and garbage are lying heaped on the roadside. To tide over the crisis, the municipality thought of privatising the sanitation work in a phased manner. Incidentally the municipality has been included in the ‘Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Medium Towns’, a scheme of Central Urban Development Department, and for the purpose there is pre-condition to start the privatisation process. Accordingly after open tender, agreement signed by the municipality with Sulabh International to take over the sanitation work in five wards in the first phase out of 15 wards and it was launched on April 1, 2008.For the job, Sulabh International will receive Rs 1.8 lakh per month from the municipality. Assessing the success in these wards, it is programmed to extend the privatisation to rest of the wards.However, the temporary daily-wage employees are reluctant to work for the private party and they have not joined the work with Sulabh International till today.Due to this, the sanitation work in the five wards has virtually collapsed causing unhygienic condition. Chairman of the municipality Niranjan Pradhan said negotiation is on with the temporary daily-wage employees to cooperate in the privatisation process and the problem will be sorted out soon.Municipality does not have any alternative but to go for privatisation for better sanitation, he said.