Pune, 18th October 2024: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had initially passed a ₹60 crore tender for five years to mechanize the sweeping of the city’s main roads. However, the tender was canceled after the contractor submitted bids with an excess rate of 38% to 80%.
In the re-tendering process, the scope was extended to seven years instead of five. Along with additional technical requirements, the cost has now escalated to ₹163 crore, inflating the tender by nearly ₹100 crore in just four months.
The changes to the original tender include extending its duration from five to seven years, which increased the annual expenditure per circle from ₹4.51 crore to ₹5.83 crore. Additionally, the contractor will be able to use their vehicles for two more years, helping to recover the cost of the vehicles. The number of pavement sweeper machines was also increased by two in this re-tender.
With the inclusion of leaf blowers, dust will now be pushed forward, requiring two vehicles and seven workers per road for sweeping. Previously, only one vehicle was used to transport waste in each circle; now, three vehicles will be deployed. Administrative sources have indicated that these changes have led to the inflated tender cost.
The PMC had originally estimated the expenditure at ₹20.80 crore in their pre-calculation sheet. However, this work was found to be done at a higher rate in other cities. It was pointed out that the PMC’s pre-calculation sheet was incorrect and needed revision, but that recommendation was ignored. As a result, the eligible contractor submitted a bid with an excess rate of 38% to 40%, which led to the cancellation and re-tendering of the project. In this re-tender, PMC nearly doubled the expenditure, revealing discrepancies in the pre-calculation sheet prepared by the municipal engineers. Additionally, the previous tender covered three circles, while the re-tender has expanded to include 12 roads in circles 1, 2, 3, and 4.
The re-tendering now covers 12 roads, each with a length of 10 km. The contractor is required to sweep 40 km of roads in one night, covering both sides of the road and footpaths four times. The rate has now been set at ₹1,339 per kilometer, compared to ₹1,023 per kilometer in the previous tender.
Prithviraj BP, the Additional Commissioner, explained that the PMC’s rate for road sweeping was lower than that of other municipal corporations, which led to limited interest in the tender. One company had submitted a bid, but it was canceled due to the high rate. The tender has been reissued, and the cost has increased due to the expanded scope. Strict attention will be given to ensure that the work is carried out properly, he assured.
