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Sources say daily rentals are Rs 70,000, and final bill could be a whopping Rs 2,300 crore
BENGALURU:
BBMP engineering department officials have been accused of corruption in outsourcing the fabrication of containment zones in the city.
Till date, 34,000 containment zones have been created in Bengaluru. The standard material used is two or three metal sheets to block entry to and exit from a containment zone.
The work is outsourced under DC bills (detailed contingency bills) for up to Rs 70,000 per day.
Rs 7.26 lakh for 14 days
In one case in the East zone, three contractors had given quotations, and the one who quoted the lowest (Rs 69,140 rent per day) was given the contract.
It is reported that the Shivajinagar Sub-Division Executive Engineer approved the release of Rs 7,26,143 under DC bills for a 14-day containment zone.
There are currently 13,482 active containment zones in the city.
It is estimated that BBMP will have to pay around Rs 2,300 crore in rent for these zones, a figure that could rise if the containment period is extended.
Civic chief reacts
Responding to allegations of excessive payments, BBMP Commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad has instructed officials not to release all the payments at one go. He said the government has advised discontinuation of containment zones where only one or two Covid cases are identified.
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