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Chandigarh MC asks Jaypee to hand over waste processing plant today

Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | By, Chandigarh
Jun 19, 2020 02:31 AM IST

In case the firm fails to hand over the plant by 5pm on June 19, MC will take over, MC commissioner KK Yadav has said.

The Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) has made a final push to control the city’s controversial waste management project, asking Jaypee, the firm controlling the city’s Dadumajra garbage processing plant, to hand over the plant by Friday evening.

After the MC general house terminated Jaypee’s contract the civic body issued a termination notice on March 5 asking the firm to hand over the plant within a week.

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The district courts, however, after being approached by Jaypee, stayed the order on March 12, following which MC initiated the action.

“The interim stay granted by the court was from March 12 to June 12. Since the order passed was for definite period, which has expired and there is no order of stay by any court of law, now, the impugned order dated March 5 passed by MC stands active,” read a letter issued by MC commissioner KK Yadav on Thursday.

Jaypee had been given time in between to appoint an arbitrator, he said.

“After consulting with the legal team we have decided to take over. We have given the firm time till 5pm on Friday to hand it over. In case the firm fails (to do so), MC will take over the plant on its own and entertain no further claims by the firm,” Yadav added.

MC has also deployed a surveillance team at the plant to thwart any attempts by the firm’s officials to remove anything from the premises.

National Green Tribunal order

According to the March termination notice, MC signed an agreement with Jaypee in 2005 for setting up a garbage processing plant, which over the years was not operated to its optimum capacity.

The plant was only processing 120 metric tonnes (MT) of waste against a requirement of 450 MT, with the remaining waste being illegally dumped in the open ground near the plant.

Despite several notices from the MC to rectify the defects, Jaypee did not make any changes.

The termination notice quoted a February 12 decision of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in which MC was directed to make alternative arrangements within a month if it was no longer viable to work with Jaypee.

The tribunal had in the same month rejected the firm’s plea for a tipping fee for running the plant and slammed Jaypee for not running the plant efficiently.

MC officials have also blamed the firm for garbage accumulating in the dumping ground which the civic body had to clear after spending crores of rupees.

Group’s local manager NK Vohra didn’t respond to repeated calls and messages.

No need for such letters, says Congress

Meanwhile, the latest MC letter to the firm elicited sharp criticism from the Congress party. “It is just a formality. They are writing letters to the firm for nearly three years now with no effect. There is no need for such letters, the agreement with the firm allows for immediate takeover. The firm will now get the opportunity to move court,” said Devinder Singh Babla, Congress councillor.

The plant’s working has always been an issue of dispute between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Welcoming the move, Arun Sood, city BJP chief and councillor, said, “Now, Congress is showing urgency but it is responsible for the current situation. It signed the contract with the firm with the agreement having no exit clause. Proper procedures have to followed by the MC, and we are now ensuring that proper waste management can take place in the city.”

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