Tamil Nadu Government yields, drops cleanliness privatisation move

CHENNAI: After stiff opposition from allies and parties supporting the government, the TVK regime has cancelled tenders floated to appoint consultants for implementing municipal solid waste collection and transportation services under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in 12 city municipal corporations

Political parties, including the Left and the VCK, opposed the move.

In a cancellation notice, Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Ltd (TNUIFSL), the fund manager of the Project Development Grant Fund (PDGF), said the advertisement published on June 20 for three consultancy packages "stands cancelled". No reason was cited.

The tenders invited consultants to prepare detailed feasibility reports and provide transaction advisory services for PPP projects covering Avadi, Hosur, Tambaram, Vellore, Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Tirupur, Madurai, Thoothukudi, Tiruchy, and Tirunelveli. The three consultancy packages were valued at Rs 4.05 crore.

The proposal had drawn criticism from political parties, which alleged that outsourcing waste collection and transportation to private players would pave the way for the privatisation of municipal sanitation services.