Come September and visitors would be able to experience a spick-and-span Connaught Place (CP) as the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), for the first time, has decided to outsource the maintenance of the revamped commercial hub.
After spending half-a-decade and a whopping Rs 671 crore on the completion of the redevelopment plan, the civic agency also plans to put street furniture in different parts of Connaught Place.
The agency will be floating tenders for hiring a contractor for the upkeep of CP. The concessionaire will be responsible for keeping the shoppers’ paradise clean and hygienic. “All the papers are ready. Tenders will be floated latest by the month end. The private party will have to clean all the corridors, parking areas, footpaths, subways, toilets in the inner, middle and outer circles. It is basically housekeeping work for which we are appointing a private party for the first time,” said a senior NDMC official. The company will also have to maintain the Central Park. The agency has 20 toilets and eight subways in CP, the cleanliness of which will also be taken care of by the company.
Moreover, for the convenience of visitors, the private agency will also provide benches among other street furniture in different areas. “Besides furniture, litter bins and spittoons will be provided in the market at their cost. We hope providing spittoons and dustbins in every nook and corner of CP will help keep the walls and pillars clean. Currently there are very few benches compared to the footfall of shoppers," said the official.
The agency will also levy a penalty which can vary anywhere between 10 to 30 per cent on the company in case it fails to keep the area clean. "There are separate categories of penalty. For cleanliness the penalty will be on the basis of per square metres. If we find that street furniture is not installed according to the layout, a additional penalty will be imposed. The amount can be anywhere between 10 to 30 per cent of their revenue earned," said a senior official of the agency.
Meanwhile, the NDMC would give the private party advertising rights in the area which is otherwise an unusual feature of the agency. However, officials said the agency won't be allowed to put huge hoardings as such; it would be rather subtle. Starting with deciding upon the opening of outlets in its subways to keep away anti-social elements, the council, off late, has visibly taken up the path of outsourcing most of its work. "Outsourcing brings in quality as the private companies are always wary of their income," said another official.