Sambalpur: Funds of Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) have allegedly been misappropriated on the pretext of maintaining cleanliness in all the wards of the town, a report said.
The civic body allegedly uses the services of the same consultancy agency engaged in maintenance of sanitation and cleanliness over last two years without floating any fresh tender on the pretext of Covid restrictions.
The civic body is showing that all 30 wards in the town are being cleaned on a regular basis, but the reality is something else. This has sparked resentment in various quarters.
Sources said, a private agency was awarded the contract to look after cleanliness and sanitation in all the 30 wards of the town through a tender process. The contract expired in 2019.
However, the SMC authorities instead of inviting a fresh tender renewed the contract and went on availing the services of the private agency on the alibi of Covid restrictions. Residents have questioned the renewal of the contract.
They questioned whether the Covid restrictions came in the way of hiring a new agency or the SMC is showing undue favour to the same old firm.
They asked when the SMC could float fresh tenders for other projects during the Covid wave, then why they avoided hiring a new agency for maintaining sanitation in the town.
They have alleged that SMC clears a bill of Rs 1.5 crore towards sanitation every month which if taken in total will be Rs 30 crore per year. However, a reality check speaks otherwise.
The wards are not properly cleaned as the agency has allegedly not used adequate number of sanitary workers and waste collection vehicles for the purpose.
However, the SMC posted photographs of cleanliness drive in the wards in official WhatsApp group.
The irregularities are not only committed in the wards under the jurisdiction of the private agency, they have also been reported from the wards where the civic body itself is in charge of maintenance and sanitation.
It is alleged that the embezzled funds are being deposited in the accounts of specific persons in every ward of the town. These persons are regularly paid even though they do not do the actual work.
A major share of the money is then passed onto the officials.
When contacted, Subhankar Mohanty, enforcement officer of SMC, said the tender process for hiring a new agency has been delayed due to Covid restrictions.
However, every effort is being made to keep the town clean. Recently, a fresh tender has been invited while the wards have been divided into five zones to facilitate transparency and effective implementation of the cleanliness drive.
Moreover, teams have been formed to supervise the cleanliness drive and very soon it will be streamlined, he added.
PNN