Bangalore:
The ungrateful people of Hamelin had famously refused to pay the Pied Piper after he rid the town of rats. The state government has in its wisdom however promised to pay as much as Rs 1 lakh per building to anyone who will rid government properties of the troublesome rodents.
This Thursday, the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) will announce the official rat catcher who will be licensed to kill rats at the Vidhanasoudha and other government buildings.
The DPAR has invited tenders from private companies to catch rats who damage government records and chew up electric cables. The job had earlier been entrusted to the government-run Warehouse Corporation.
"The last date for submitting the tenders was May 20," explained K R Srinivasan, secretary, DPAR. "The Warehouse Corporation held the contract once.
This time, we expect private companies to participate in the bidding. We will know who the contenders are when we open the tenders. We need to do this to preserve documents from rats and cockroaches," said Srinivasan.
When this reporter asked why the government would not digitize documents instead of spending lakhs on killing rats, Srinivasan, said steps were already being taken in the direction.
"Digitisation of documents has already begun in the Revenue Department. Other departments will soon follow suite. Till then, we are saving available documents."
He laughed when this reporter asked him if he had a solution for humans who made important documents disappear
The responsibility of catching rats had earlier been entrusted to the government-run Warehouse Corporation.
A source in the city police commissioner's office said they were grappling with a rodent problem as well. "The commissioner should also give away contracts to someone willing to catch rats."
This Thursday, the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) will announce the official rat catcher who will be licensed to kill rats at the Vidhanasoudha and other government buildings.
The DPAR has invited tenders from private companies to catch rats who damage government records and chew up electric cables. The job had earlier been entrusted to the government-run Warehouse Corporation.
"The last date for submitting the tenders was May 20," explained K R Srinivasan, secretary, DPAR. "The Warehouse Corporation held the contract once.
This time, we expect private companies to participate in the bidding. We will know who the contenders are when we open the tenders. We need to do this to preserve documents from rats and cockroaches," said Srinivasan.
When this reporter asked why the government would not digitize documents instead of spending lakhs on killing rats, Srinivasan, said steps were already being taken in the direction.
"Digitisation of documents has already begun in the Revenue Department. Other departments will soon follow suite. Till then, we are saving available documents."
He laughed when this reporter asked him if he had a solution for humans who made important documents disappear
The responsibility of catching rats had earlier been entrusted to the government-run Warehouse Corporation.
A source in the city police commissioner's office said they were grappling with a rodent problem as well. "The commissioner should also give away contracts to someone willing to catch rats."
