AMC hires old contractor to fix 17K LED lights in city; orders to complete task by March-end

Aurangabad, Nov 28:

The cash-strapped Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has decided to award the responsibility of fixing 17,000 LED lights in the extended part of the city to its old Delhi-based agency, Elektron Energy Efficiency Services, today. The administrator A K Pandey issued an order directing the company to complete the works of fixing lights by March-end.

Earlier, the AMC had given the contract of fixing 40,000 LED streetlights to the above Delhi agency for Rs 120 crore. A controversy had triggered over the allotment of the contract. Later on, the matter was sub judice, and on the orders of the Supreme Court, the AMC issued the work order to the agency. The agency completed its task, and the AMC has also claimed of reduction in its energy bills by Rs 60-70 lakh per month.

Later on, the AMC realised of fixing 17,000 more LED lights. In the meantime, the union government had fixed the agencies involved in the job of fixing LED lights. Hence the AMC decided to give the work to union government''s recommended agency. However, the civic body has now decided to give the work to its old Delhi-based agency without paying money.

It is pooh-poohed that the AMC will not have to pay any money to the agency, but the civic body has made a provision of Rs 5.50 crore in its budget. Under the head of tenders, in Part ''B'', the civic administration has made a combined provision of Rs 28.15 crore to undertake different works. As per the AMC''s order, the provision of Rs 5.50 crore is made under this head.