MMC shortlists 4 technical consultants via Internet!

MMC shortlists 4 technical consultants via Internet!
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, AUG 30  
Strange are the ways of functioning of the Margao Municipal Council.
A couple of months ago, the Council called for Expression of Interest for a consultant to assist the civic body to set up a multi-storey parking lot in the heart of the Commercial Capital.
But now, just consider this. The civic body is looking out for a technical consultant not to just to evaluate the technical bids but to assist the body long term in the setting up the 50-ton garbage treatment plant.
But, unlike the case of the multi-storey parking lot, the civic body has no plans to call for Expression of Interest to ensure transparency in the finalization of the technical consultant. Instead, the civic body has shortlisted around four names of technical consultancy providers by browsing through the Internet. Of the four consultancy providers, proposals have come in from SENES India Consultant Services and AECOM India Pvt. Herald understands that both the consultancy providers have quoted their fees, but the question that haunts the City Fathers is whether the Civic body can appoint these consultancy providers without inviting Expression of Interest.
Urban Development Minister, Joaquim Alemao has strongly favoured appointment of a technical consultant by inviting Expression of Interest, leaving the Council is a piquant situation.
When contacted, MMC Chairperson Savio Coutinho admitted that an Expression of Interest was mandatory to rope in the technical consultant, but said that paucity of time had forced the civic body to browse through the internet to shortlist the consultants.
Incidentally, the Civic body is abuzz with news that some vested interests are pushing for a particular technical consultant amongst the two shortlisted one, raising eyebrows whether the entire process would ensure transparency and fair play.
Meanwhile, the question over the appointment of a technical consultant and other issues related to the setting up of a 50-ton garbage treatment plant at Sonsodo will be discussed at the special meeting of the Council scheduled on Monday morning.
The City Fathers will evaluate the financial and technical bids received by the Civic body from the Fomento-IL&FS combine and Hyderabad-based Ramky Enviro Engineering Ltd.
The Council is further expected to discuss and deliberate on the observations made by the City Fathers on their visit to the treatment plant run by IL&FS at Okhla in Delhi.
The Fomento-IL&FS combine has proposed to solve the Sonsodo mess by emptying one portion of the existing dump, screen and send the rejects outside, besides proposing to work on slope stabilization and capping of the dump. It has further proposed to build a sanitary land fill within the site.
On the other hand, Ramky has proposed to reclaim the existing waste through excavation and process the fresh waste through aerobic composting on windrows platform. The company has proposed to set up leachete treatment facility at the site.