GUWAHATI, Dec 8 � Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today directed the private sector Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited to leave no stone unturned for keeping Guwahati clean. The company should strictly supervise the operations conducted by the NGOs to collect garbage from the households and commercial establishments, he said. The Chief Minister also asked the firm engaged in the city�s garbage cleaning business, to provide necessary dustbins, machineries and equipment for garbage disposal.
According to an official press release here, the Chief Minister was reviewing the garbage disposal process of the city at a high-level meeting with senior officials of the Ramky, Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) and the Guwahati Development Department (GDD). He asked the firm to upgrade its technology to make it environment-friendly and to prevent damage to roads and pavements during the process of garbage collection.
The Chief Minister categorically told the senior officials of Ramky that while the Government would ensure steady flow of funds, the company would have to keep the city clean at any cost. He asked the GMC and the private sector firm to work in tandem and to ensure smooth coordination with different stakeholders with a view to making the garbage disposal process hassle-free.
Ramky chairman AA Rami Reddy assured the Chief Minister that his company would provide the necessary waste bins and equipment for garbage clearance to make the city clean and that the company would invest Rs 68 crore in the next 10 years for procurement of equipment.
The Integrated Solid Waste Management Project in Guwahati was inaugurated by the Chief Minister in November 2008. The project is being implemented by the Guwahati Waste Management Company Limited (GWMCL), a joint venture of the Assam Government and the Hyderabad-based Ramky. This is the first project being implemented by the Assam Government through a private-public partnership (PPP) mode. Under the terms of agreement, the GWMCL will take care of collection, transportation and treatment of municipal solid waste for a 20-year period.
The meeting was attended, among others, by Additional Chief Secretary PK Choudhury, Commissioner and Secretary, GDD, Dr AK Bhutani and GMC Commissioner Puru Gupta.
