Home Minister R Ashok during an interaction programme with Express on Monday, said he has instructed the BBMP officials to serve notice to Ramky, following its violations of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Rules 2000.
He said, “If Ramky group has violated the rules, their licence can be cancelled. However, we cannot cancel their licence all of a sudden without prior notice, as they might move the court. Instead, if we serve notice, and seek their reply, it is easier to take legal action.”
He added there are three parts in Mavallipura landfill site, part of which is used by Ramky.
“If we get a clear picture, we can call for a tender and give it to the right company. Speaking about plastic menace,” Ashok said 20 years ago farmers used to demand garbage. “Earlier, when garbage was segregated, only 20 per cent of its content used to be plastic. Now, the plastic quantity is excessive. Hence, farmers are refusing garbage. The BBMP has taken a resolution to ban plastic. Soon, garbage disposal will not be a problem,” he said.
When asked why the MLAs did not involve during garbage disposal crisis, Ashok said, “A political party should not be a barrier to tackle garbage problems. It is everybody’s responsibility to handle the crisis.”
When asked about the meeting with the chief minister regarding garbage menace, during which Congress MLAs were excluded, Ashok said they did not convene a separate meeting with the party members. It was a meeting with the officials.
Responding to a query on engineers’ protest against BMTF chief, Ashok said, “I might be the District In-charge Minister, but it does not mean all the 33 departments will come under me. The mayor and UD officials have spoken to the engineers who were on protest. The BBMP officials have claimed that according to KMC Act, BMTF does not have the right to register cases against them. UD has written letter to the BBMP in this regard. Once we get the clarification from BBMP and BMTF, we will get a clear picture,” Ashok said.