Contract delay affects CP’s upkeep

NEW DELHI: Maintenance of Connaught Place has been affected due to delay in awarding a contract to a private company for ensuring proper upkeep of the market.
A private entity was chosen to maintain cleanliness in CP but the final award of the contract to the firm is yet to be given as a number of members of the New Delhi Municipal Council have raised certain objections about its terms and conditions.
NDMC officials said private entity, J C Decaux, was chosen following strictly laid down procedures and the delay in awarding the contract has severely affected the upkeep of the market which was redeveloped at a cost of around Rs 600 crore.
They said a discussion on awarding the contract had taken place at a council meeting on September 19 where some of the members, including New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi demanded a copy of the contract but nobody had raised any “dissent” over the decision to involve the operator.
NDMC chairperson Jalaj Shrivastava in a letter dated October 20, had written to the members of the council that the award of the contract was approved after due discussions and presentation and all possible queries raised by the members were answered in the council meeting.
“This was an unanimous decision. However, in case of differences, the dissent note is required from the member concerned, which we have not received till date,” Shrivastava, who left for an official training to US for a month on Saturday, said in the communication.