By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 9: It is normal for companies to maintain government facilities and for them to advertise their brand. Even the central government has outsourced the maintenance of the iconic Red Fort to the Dalmia Bharat Group. Similarly, the Shillong Municipal Board has outsourced the maintenance of the Rotary at Police Bazar to Jiwat Vaswani who has been maintaining and beautifying several other facilities in and around Shillong such as planting flowers along Police Point, Laitumkhrah, planting trees around the JN Stadium and also at Lum Shillong (Shillong Peak).
Under the brand name JivaCares, Vaswani has been selflessly using his staff to clean up Police Bazar and other localities apart from watering the trees and flowers during the winter months and replacing the latter with fresh flowers every now and again. On February 22, this year, Vaswani executed a 10-year Deed of Agreement with the Shillong Municipal Board. As per the Agreement, Vaswani would pay the SMB a one-time payment of Rs one lakh as a non-interest bearing security deposit which is refundable on successful completion of the 10-year contract period.
Besides the above security fee, Vaswani would also be paying an annual royalty of Rs 60,000 per annum which is payable at Rs 5,000 monthly.
According to the Agreement, Jiwat Vaswani the second party is allowed to put up advertisements for his own firm or of any other client. Accordingly, Vaswani who has recently started a non-profit organisation Jiva Cares which would look exclusively at cleanliness, maintenance, greening and beautifying Shillong and its suburbs, put up a logo which reads LoveYouShillong. Below that are the letters JivaCares which is the name of the firm/company/organisation and for which Vaswani has been granted legal rights.
While most people are appreciative of what the Jiva Team does under the leadership of Jiwat Vaswani, on Saturday last a person by name Nangkiew Sutnga levelled serious charges against Vaswani on social media, alleging that he does benami business and is only beautifying the spaces that are close to his eateries.
What followed the abusive posts were a series of trolls which have hurt Vaswani, so much so that he even felt he should stop his social activities. But his friends, family and supporters have urged him not to let these remarks that are prompted by jealousy and frustration deter him from his mission. It may be reminded that Team Jiva is a key partner of Operation Clean-up which has been cleaning the rivers in Shillong and planting trees to green up the Shillong environment.
Speaking to this reporter, Vaswani says, “My intentions are honest and I have the permission to put my company’s name at the Rotary. Earlier too people paid money to put up advertisements inside and around the Rotary but no one objected, so why me? Why suspect my intentions when I am a regular tax payer and have never cheated a single soul?”
Meanwhile CEO Shillong Municipal Board BS Sohliya said that Vaswani is carrying out the activities within the Rotary as per the terms of the contract and the results are there for all to see. “He has every right to advertise his brand as per the contract,” Sohliya said.