Contract awarded to implement project

To streamline the collection and disposal of garbage, the Kozhikode Corporation will soon implement a Global Positioning System-based (GPS) vehicle tracking system within the city limits.

The civic body now has no mechanism to track such vehicles. There are complaints from residents’ associations and Kudumbashree volunteers that drivers of such vehicles used to stay away from duty.

Heaps of household waste on roadsides and overfilled garbage at collection points have become an eyesore though the corporation claims that garbage collection is completed before 9 a.m.

“With the GPS-installed system, the corporation office can track the location of such vehicles,” K.V. Baburaj, Health Standing Committee chairman, told The Hindu on Tuesday. He said the corporation council had also approved the awarding of the contract to a Thiruvananthapuram- based IT solutions company, Rain Concert Technologies, at a cost of ₹4,72,620 to execute the project under the Kerala Development Plan.

Four companies, including Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (Keltron) had bid for the project. Though Keltron had quoted the lowest rate of ₹4,23,850, the public undertaking had not included the 18% GST charges. Besides, the Rain Concert, which had initially quoted ₹4,94,620, had reduced the rates after negotiations with corporation officials. However, the civic body will have to pay a monthly charge of ₹17,360 for monitoring the system. The other bidders — Elaria and O. Ravikumar — had quoted ₹5,24,510 and ₹6, 37,000 respectively.

He said the plan was to install the GPS system in 70 vehicles.