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By:

Dr. Abhilash Dawre

19 March 2025 at 5:18:41 pm

BJP alleges billing irregularities

Ambernath: Serious allegations of financial irregularities have surfaced in Ambernath's solid waste management system, with BJP corporators accusing Samiksha Waste Management Infra Pvt. Ltd. of artificially inflating garbage collection weights to generate excess payments. The corporators have demanded an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities and sought the immediate blacklisting of the company. They have also alleged that the entire operation has continued with the...

BJP alleges billing irregularities

Ambernath: Serious allegations of financial irregularities have surfaced in Ambernath's solid waste management system, with BJP corporators accusing Samiksha Waste Management Infra Pvt. Ltd. of artificially inflating garbage collection weights to generate excess payments. The corporators have demanded an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities and sought the immediate blacklisting of the company. They have also alleged that the entire operation has continued with the knowledge of municipal officials. According to the BJP corporators, a field inspection of garbage transportation and weighing procedures revealed that garbage vehicles were allegedly loaded with drain sludge, mud and heavy soil, in addition to waste, before being weighed at a private weighbridge. They claimed this practice artificially increased the recorded weight of each vehicle, resulting in inflated monthly bills. The corporators stated that the waste collection contract has remained with Samiksha Waste Management Infra Pvt. Ltd. since 2017, with extensions granted over the years, including a fresh contract in 2023. Despite the company handling the work for nearly eight years, they alleged that nearly 210 garbage bins continue to remain across the city, raising questions over the effectiveness of the waste management system. A major concern raised by the corporators relates to the absence of a municipality-owned weighbridge. They claimed that the tender conditions require the municipal council to have its own weighing facility and that 15 lakh was sanctioned during the 2026 General Body meeting for installing the weighbridge. However, despite the approval, the municipal weighbridge has not been made operational. As a result, garbage is allegedly weighed on a private weighbridge, where approximately half a tonne of additional weight per vehicle is allegedly recorded, leading to inflated billing. Garbage Quantity The corporators further questioned the official claim that 170 metric tonnes of garbage are collected daily in Ambernath. They pointed out that neighbouring Badlapur, which has a larger population and geographical area, reportedly generates only around 100 metric tonnes of waste daily. They argued that the significantly higher figure reported for Ambernath, despite the continued presence of garbage heaps and around 210 garbage bins across the city, raises serious doubts over the accuracy of the reported data. They also alleged violations of tender conditions by claiming that vehicles other than those approved under the contract were being used for waste transportation. In addition, they accused the company of failing to provide contractual sanitation workers with timely salaries, gumboots, hand gloves, raincoats and other essential safety equipment. Questions were also raised regarding the fitness certificates and insurance documents of certain garbage transportation vehicles, with corporators alleging that the concerned authorities failed to take appropriate action. In another serious allegation, BJP corporators claimed that the alleged irregularities were continuing under the protection of Ambarnath Municipal Council Health Department Head Mahesh Tayde. They alleged that municipal officials were aware of the financial irregularities, violations in the weighing process and breaches of tender conditions but deliberately ignored them. They demanded strict administrative and legal action against those found responsible. Increased Weight ‘The Perfect Voice’ visited the private weighbridge where garbage vehicles are weighed. According to the report, an employee identified as Shivam Singh allegedly stated, "Officials from the Ambarnath Municipal Council ask us to show increased weight. Accordingly, we increase the weight and issue the receipt." The ground report also highlighted allegations that sanitation workers were not being provided with mandatory safety kits and were not receiving salaries on time. Concerns were also raised regarding the absence of valid fitness certificates for some garbage transport vehicles. While speaking to, ‘The Perfect Voice’, BJP Group leader Abhijeet Karanjule-Patil alleged that large-scale financial irregularities were taking place through the waste collection contract executed by Samiksha Waste Management Infra Pvt. Ltd. He demanded the immediate blacklisting of the company and an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities. He alleged that although a municipal weighbridge is mandatory under the tender conditions, it has not been made operational, forcing garbage to be weighed at a private weighbridge where vehicle weights are allegedly inflated by loading drain sludge, mud and soil. He also questioned the official claim of collecting 170 metric tonnes of waste daily, stating that despite these figures, nearly 210 garbage bins and garbage heaps continue to exist across the city. Karanjule-Patil further alleged collusion between municipal officials and the contractor, while also raising concerns over delayed wages, lack of safety equipment for sanitation workers, and compliance issues relating to garbage transport vehicles.

India working on logistics of Tahawwur Rana's extradition

  • PTI
  • Feb 14, 2025
  • 3 min read

Updated: Feb 18, 2025

Tahawwur Rana

Washington: India is working on the logistics of Tahawwur Rana's surrender and extradition from the US, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has said, as President Donald Trump announced that his administration has given the go-ahead to extradite the 26/11 terror attack accused “to face justice".

“This is an issue on which the US authorities have taken very clear decisions. I think you've seen the President announce it himself from the White House podium" the decision of the US to extradite Rana, Misri said at a press conference here on Thursday.


During a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the White House, US President Donald Trump announced that his administration has approved the extradition of "very evil" Tahawwur Rana, wanted by Indian law enforcement agencies for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, "to face justice in India”.


In response to a question by PTI on the timeframe by when Rana will be extradited to India, Misri said: "We are working on the logistics of his surrender and extradition to India. There are a few final steps to be completed. The two sides are in touch on this particular issue.”


The India-US joint statement issued during the Prime Minister's visit to the US notes that Modi and Trump reaffirmed that the global scourge of terrorism must be fought and terrorist safe havens eliminated from every corner of the world.

“They committed to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats from groups, including Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Jaish-e Mohammad, and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba in order to prevent heinous acts like the attacks in Mumbai on 26/11 and the Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021," the joint statement said.


“Recognising a shared desire to bring to justice those who would harm our citizens, the US announced that the extradition to India of Tahawwur Rana has been approved," it said.


The leaders further called on Pakistan to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai, and Pathankot attacks and ensure that its territory is not used to carry out cross-border terrorist attacks.

"The leaders also pledged to work together to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems and to deny access to such weapons by terrorists and non-state actors,” the joint statement added.

Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, is currently lodged at a metropolitan detention centre in Los Angeles. He is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 attacks.

Speaking at the joint press meet, Trump said "Today I am pleased to announce that my administration has approved the extradition of one of the plotters and very evil people of the world, and having to do with the horrific Mumbai terrorist attack, to face justice in India. So, he is going back to India to face justice."


The extradition of Rana was cleared by the US Supreme Court in January as it rejected his review petition in the case.


India last month said it was working with American authorities for the early extradition of Rana.


"The US Supreme Court on January 21 declined to hear a petition from the accused. We are now working with the US side on procedural issues for early extradition to India of the accused in the Mumbai terror attack," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said.


In November 2012, Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving gunman among the Pakistani group, was hanged to death in Yerawada Jail in Pune.

-PTI

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