NGO seeks quota in clean-up marshal agency contracts

The Bombay High Court today directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to file reply to a petition seeking reservation for the organisations which work for the disabled persons while awarding contracts for providing clean-up marshals in the city.
BMC outsources appointment of these marshals who oversee maintenance of cleanliness at important public places.
The division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M S Sanklecha was hearing a petition filed by Akanksha Apang Seva Sahakari Sanstha, which works for the welfare of the disabled, challenging the contracts awarded by the civic body for appointment of agencies to provide marshals.

According to the petition, the contracts are awarded in arbitrary and discriminatory manner, and do not provide for quota for agecnies which work for persons with disabilities.
The petitioner organisation had got the contract to provide clean-up marshals in the 'L' ward from 2008, but did not get it last year.
"The petitioner organisation works towards providing employment to persons with disability. In 2013 the civic body decided to award contracts to those agencies with ten year experience and based on a marking system which gave weightage to larger agencies with higher turn-overs. The petitioner was not awarded the contract," the petition states.

It adds that the civic body has failed to make reservations for organisations such as the petitioner which work towards welfare of disabled persons.
The court directed the corporation to file its reply by March 6.