Kochi: The Kochi Corporation sells the plastic waste it collects for a meagre price of Rs 1.5 per kg to a private company. It has been selling the waste at the same price for the past 10 years, incurring losses that run into crores. This is even as the government firm ‘Clean Kerala Company’ collects plastic waste from local self-government institutions at Rs 15-20 per kg.

The Corporation has been selling plastic waste, which reaches the Brahmapuram plant, since 2012 to the company Bharat Traders. The then Mayor gave prior permission to sell the waste to the company till the implementation of the Clean Kerala Company project.

However, the old contractor continues to be in the picture as Clean Kerala Company is yet to be implemented. The Corporation hasn’t invited tenders for awarding the work since 2012. Every month, around 300 tonnes of plastic waste reaches Brahmapuram, which annually comes to 3,600 tonnes (36,00,000 kg).

As per the current rate of Rs 1.5 per kg, the Corporation should be making Rs 54 lakh. However, during 2021-22, the Corporation received only Rs 17.31 lakh. If the same were handed over to the Clean Kerala Company, the Corporation would have gotten Rs 3-4 crore.

Clean Kerala Company MD Suresh Kumar said though they had earlier contacted the Kochi Corporation authorities for the collection of plastic waste, they didn’t get a positive response.

The Corporation in its reply to an RTI query said the old contractor is retained for plastic waste collection due to non-implementation of the project with the Clean Kerala Company.