Garbage Mafia - Addl Inputs Sought

Below are the key solutions as identified by you to issues and root causes in regards to garbage mafia. Kindly review and if you have any specific additional inputs, please share. We will then compile the whitepaper for leadership review and dissemination to urban local bodies. It is critical that this area is reformed.

We look forward to your inputs!
Swachh Bharat Mission

Solutions to address Garbage Mafia

1.Tender system for garbage handling should be completely computerised in every municipality
2.Human intervention in allotting tenders should be minimized and the process should be made transparent
3.People should be given full rights to choose a private vendor if they are not satisfied with the Government assigned garbage cleaning contractors
4.If the garbage pickers don’t show up for work for more than 2 days consecutively, their equivalent payment should be deducted
5.Forcefully asking for tips should be made an offence
6. These contractors should be fully binding by the rules of the municipality
7.Failing to do so should be punishable with the cancellation of the contract
8. Action should be taken against political leaders found to have links with garbage mafia
9.The corrupt officers having a nexus with the garbage mafia should be identified and suspended
10.The bank accounts of the municipal officers with authority should be checked for undisclosed deposits so that their nexus with the garbage mafia could be traced
11.If the municipality feels an undue pressure from this mafia, they should report it to the police
12.Even if a cleaning contract is assigned to a private contractor, an active officer should be assigned to supervise their work
13.The senior management of the municipality should take field trips to understand how work happens on ground
14.Citizen complaints against the garbage mafia should be taken very seriously


Root Causes for Garbage Mafia Issues

1.There is a nexus between the garbage mafia and some municipality workers/ officers
2. Some municipal workers/officers accept bribes from the garbage mafia to allow them to operate however they want
3. The work is awarded at high prices, with a large percentage as kickbacks which results in no control on proper execution of work
4.Since top management supports the contractor, junior corporation staff can not properly monitor the contractor's labour or ensure timely collection of garbage
5.Tenders are not invited online
6.Garbage business is a very lucrative one and many criminals are also involved in this field
7.The municipality itself is scared to take action against these mafias because of the presence of these criminals
8. There is no one to put a check upon their working style
9.They feel that the normal laws do not apply to them as they work for a powerful group
10.The public just wants to stay passive and not interfere with how they work
11.The senior management of the municipality has no idea about how the day to day work happens in their area
12. There is a lack of an efficient redressal cell for complaints against garbage mafia
13.Many municipal officers do not have the courage to handle this issue
Issues with Garbage Mafia

1. Mafia rigs the tenders to get garbage cleaning contracts
2.They do not allow other private contractors and service providers to work in the area
3. They create a fracas if the cleaning job is outsourced to a private vendor
4.They do not clean their areas for many days at a stretch
5.They use intimidation tactics and scold anyone who complains about their work
6.They force households to pay tips
7.They create unions and threaten the municipality itself
8.They do not follow the municipality rules in many cases
9. Because of vote bank politics or kickbacks, most local politicians support the garbage mafia leaders than fighting them. more