S Bachan Jeet Singh By Express News Service HYDERABAD: For the first time, sanitation and upkeep of three important tourist spots — Charminar, Salar Jung Museum and Mecca Masjid — and Secunderabad Railway Station will be under control of a private agency. On a pilot basis, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has handed over the maintenance of sanitation of these four important places to an agency M/s Ixora Corporate Services Private Limited for a period of two months for which the GHMC standing committee under the chairmanship of Bonthu Rammohan gave a green signal on Thursday. The GHMC will pay `29.05 lakh for a period of two months for the pilot project. GHMC officials told Express that the initiative is to showcase the change that can be brought by outsourcing upkeep and sanitation of areas surrounding tourist spots. GHMC will assess the impact, benefits and gaps, if any, during the pilot project before finalising the long-term contract. There will be no undue favour to the agency and no service charges will be paid for any machinery or other equipment engaged by it except 10 per cent of the amount payable in each area towards consumables. Based on the outcome of the pilot, GHMC proposes to engage private agencies for round-the-clock sanitation covering as many as two dozen tourist spots across the city. MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao also directed for privatisation and maintenance of sanitation for 11 tourist spots of national and international repute.

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