the goan I network
MARGAO
A day after Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo took a dig at the Goa Forward-controlled Margao Municipal Council on the garbage front, MMC Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai on Friday hit back at the minister, saying Lobo should clean up his own backyard, Calangute, of drugs and sex rackets that are tarnishing the image of
Goa tourism.
Taking strong exception to Lobo’s statement that the Margao city fathers should be positive in addressing the Sonsodo and waste mess, Babita said the minister should look at what is happening in his Calangute constituency.
“Once upon a time, Goa was a haven and a paradise for tourists. Today, Goa is painted black because of sex rackets and drugs in areas such as Calangute. I think the minister should clean up his own backyard rather than making lopsided statements on Margao and Fatorda,” Babita said at a hurriedly called media briefing on Friday in the presence of Vice-chairperson Tito Cardozo and councillor Jose Fernandes.
“Michael should understand that Goa is on the international tourism map and these negative images of sex rackets and drugs do not augur well. He should first clean up Calangute to wipe out its bad image,” she added.
Saying that she would not accept any accusation that the MMC had been found wanting on the waste management front, Babita sought to blame the Waste Management Corporation for the delay in granting the technical sanction for the proposal to set up two containerised waste treatment plants in the city.
“After the council adopted a resolution to go in for the containerized waste plants costing Rs four crore, the proposal was forwarded to the Corporation for technical sanction. Till date, the Corporation has not got back to the civic body with any queries or details,” she lamented.
“If Michael has come across waste dumped on the roadside in Fatorda or Margao, it is precisely because of this reason,” she added.
She told the media that it has been the constant endeavour of the civic body to tide over the Sonsodo mess.
“The council has initiated several steps, right from sending segregated waste to Sonsodo to baling of dry waste. Today, we have additional compactors and trucks. We have endeavoured to resolve the mess, but it is discouraging to find a minister talking exactly the opposite,” she added.
‘Govt should immediately convene CM-headed HPCC meet’
MARGAO: Asserting that the Margao Municipal Council will go the extra mile to cooperate with the government to resolve the Sosnodo imbroglio, MMC Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai on Friday said the government should immediately convene the High Powered Coordination Committee (HPCC) meeting headed by the Chief Minister at the earliest.
“We want the HPCC to have its meeting so that concrete steps are taken to resolve the issue. The Chief Officer Sidhivinayak Naik has already met the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and discussed the issue threadbare. The CO has indicated that the Solid Waste Management Corporation is keen to take over the Sonsodo plant from October 1,” she said. When questioned how the Corporation could take over Sonsodo when the district Court has stayed the civic body from initiating any coercive action to dispossess Fomento of the plant, Babita said this is exactly the reason why the HPCC should meet and take cognizance of the legal issues that have arose.
