BBMP spends Rs 2 lakh to trap just 20 rats in six months: RTI

Times of India: Bangalore: Thursday, 10 July 2014.

At almost Rs 10,000 per rat, the BBMP has probably paid the steepest price to its 'Piper' (companies chosen through e-procurement) to get rid of pesky rodents. Armed with an RTI reply, Yediyur corporator N R Ramesh stunned the BBMP Council when he said the Palike had spent Rs 2 lakh in six months to catch rats at the Palike head office in NR square and IPP building in Malleswaram. And in six months, they managed to trap only 20 rats.

The tender was awarded to three companies and Rs 2 lakh was paid in several installments under 'Mooshika Nirvahane' plan.

Two years ago, BBMP began renovating offices in the administration section and office of chief accounts officer. Ramesh said he found out the renovation began after employees found a dead rat in one of the cupboards. He also found out that the Palike had spent Rs 16,000 for a cabin worth Rs 8,000. This prompted him to file an RTI to know how much the BBMP had spent in six months.

The information he received was a revelation. The RTI reply stated that the BBMP had spent Rs 99,000 to control rodent menace in BBMP head office at NR Circle and at IPP centre at Malleswaram from October 2012 to January 2013. Again, the BBMP had spent Rs 99,000 from August 2013 to October 2013. That is a total of Rs 1.98 lakh to trap rats.

On October 29, 2013, the BBMP had again called for an annual e-procurement tender to control rodent menace.

"A dry coconut or a dry fish could do the job. A bottle of rat poison available in any local market and costing just Rs 12 for 50 mg could also solve the problem. How could the BBMP spend Rs 2 lakh to kill 20 rats?" he asked.Ramesh's question evoked only laughter in the council. Fellow corporators and senior officials, including commissioner M Lakshminarayana, were in splits.

"I was not looking for a reply as the RTI application has revealed all information. The office interiors were renovated after the death of a rat. Sadly, even after spending Rs 1.41 crore, the quality of work on the interiors is very poor," Ramesh told TOI.