Ruckus in VMC over gas meters

VADODARA, June 30: Pandemonium prevailed in the General Board meeting of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) on Tuesday as the contenti...

VADODARA, June 30: Pandemonium prevailed in the General Board meeting of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) on Tuesday as the contentious issue of purchase of gas meters came up for discussion.

While Lokshahi Morcha councillor Chandrakant Shrivastava alleged that there was something fishy in passing a proposal to purchase 100 meters each from 3 companies after the Standing Committee had passed a proposal to purchase 10,000 meters from Kinetic Engineering Company, the ruling BJP members denied the charge. “Both the decisions were taken on merit,” stated Standing Committee chairman N V Patel.

Within a fortnight after the proposal for purchase of 10,000 meters was passed, the Committee had decided to take 300 meters on an experimental basis.

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As the BJP councillors stated that Shrivastava had taken up the issue as his brother was partner in Kinetic Engineering Company, Shrivastava said if the meters were not up to the mark the contract should not be awarded to the Company. “I am only surprised by the manner in which the two proposals have been passed,” he said, asking the Municipal Commissioner not to come under any kind of pressure.

Patel said the civic chief must have accepted the new proposal after reports of meters supplied by the Company earlier. The Company has till date supplied 19,000 meters and nearly 4,848 are not in working condition. Patel informed the House that out of the 28,000 meters supplied by Flama company in the past, only 1,686 were not working.

Taking part in the discussion former Deputy Mayor Shailesh Mehta quoting reports of the Gas Project stated that by installing meters of Kinetic Company in hotels, the department had registered a profit of 33 per cent. He further stated that the Company should not be ruled out outright simply because one of its partner was a councillor’s brother with whom the BJP’s ideology does not match.

BJP councillor Pradip Joshi had alleged that installation of Kinetic meters was responsible in the Gas Project incurring a loss. Former Deputy Mayor Bhupendra Patel stated that the contracts were given in a manner so as to prevent monopoly of any particular party.

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Mehta also said in the last few months, the administration had forwarded 3 proposals which were doubtful. He cited the example of gas meters, reducing road line in Nava Bazaar and appointing a consultant for laying a water pipeline between Ajwa and Vadodara city. When few years ago, a Pune-based firm had already been asked to lay a pipeline then why was there a need to appoint another consultant, he asked.