PANAJI
Amidst heated discussions the renewal of the contract for collection of pay parking in the capital city was approved at the special meeting of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) on Monday morning even as the Opposition councillors alleged it smacks of a scam.
The pay-parking contract was the solitary point on the agenda of the special meeting on Monday and it led to heated discussions with the Opposition targeting Mayor Rohit Monserrate and Commissioner Clan Madeira.
Both Monserrate and Madeira defended the contractor collecting the pay parking fees although the contract had ended in mid-February arguing that in the fresh tender process taken up in July, he again was the successful bidder.
Former Minister, late Somnath Juwarkar’s son, Sohan Juwarkar, is the contractor in question. The deal was up to February this year but was extended by six months till August 14.
However, with the contract not officially renewed and the collection of fees continuing in the city, Opposition councillors have been alleging a scam.
Former Mayors Surendra Furtado and Uday Madkaikar were on their feet raising a hue and cry and were joined in flagging the pay parking contract irregularities by Joel Andrade.
Meanwhile, Monserrate refuted the allegations and argued that the pay parking revenues collected through the contract were way much higher than in the past.
Madeira also denied the charge made by Furtado that there was no accountability for the collection of fees by the contractor over the last month since the expiry of the contract.
Madeira said, it is all accounted and the contractor has already made the payments to the CCP, including the Rs 1-crore bank guarantee.
Monserrate also sought to turn the tables on Furtado alleging that back in 2016 in his tenure he had rejected a tender and opting for CCP itself collecting the parking fees through its own staff and ended up netting just Rs 40 lakhs.
Monserrate said an internal inquiry will be done and the matter referred to the Vigilance department.
Meanwhile, Andrade questioned the agenda itself saying it was wrong to seek approval of the pay parking tendering process at the special meeting without placing the agreement and other relevant details and documents on the table.
