Nagpur:- Citing poor financial condition due to lockdown, a scrap dealer, who was shortlisted in the e-auction of three fire tenders and three emergency tenders, retired at the last minute from buying NMC’s fire and emergency services vehicles.
This was informed by fire department officials during the standing committee meeting chaired by its chairman Vijay Zalke, who directed the former to e-auction only one vehicle at a time in order to avoid such a situation in future.
Fire department had received nod from the civic administration to dispose of three small fire tenders, three emergency tenders and three ambulances according to NMC sources. The department had also received approval from the standing committee for e-auctioning and phase-out of the vehicles. A bidder has been shortlisted by e-auction, accordingly.
The bidder had quoted Rs3.71 lakh for scrapping three small fire tenders against the offset value of Rs1.95 lakh at the department. Similarly the bidder had expressed to pay Rs3.06 lakh against the offset value of three emergency tenders.
In the e-auction, the offset value of other machinery, wood, plastic and rubber material too increased from Rs1.66 lakh to Rs4.99 lakh. Citing financial crisis, the bidder now expressed his inability to pay the purchase amount for the firefighting vehicles and scrap.
Zalke also expressed concern about the civic body stopping many civil works, in particular chamber repairs, sewerage networks etc. worth Rs81 crore following the verbal order of the municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. He has ordered the civic administration to ensure in all files written orders from senior officials if the works are to be stopped.
The standing panel leader also expressed indignation over excessive work on cement road works and directed the department of public works to impose penalties on the contractor.
Zalke also instructed the administration to follow up with the Nagpur Improvement Trust to receive development charges from the layout holders that it had received. This will help improve services for the civic body, he has said.
