PANAJI: CCP councillor Jack Sukhija has demanded the immediate cancellation of the Captain of Ports tender for the operation and maintenance of jetties and allied facilities, alleging that the proposed 30-year concession, extendable by another 10 years, amounts to a “virtual handover” of public assets.
Addressing the media in Panaji on Tuesday, Sukhija questioned the need for a private operator to receive control of the facilities for up to 40 years. “If it is not equivalent to privatisation, what is it? Most of us won’t exist after 40 years here,” he said.
He also questioned the tender covering 10 jetties and the pace at which the process was being undertaken. According to Sukhija, three new jetties at Kala Academy, Campal and Bhagwan Mahavir Garden are also proposed to be handed over to the private operator for maintenance.
He alleged that the financial arrangement places much of the expenditure on the government, while limiting the private operator’s liability for repairs to Rs 5 lakh. “All expenses are on the public, while whatever revenue is there, with minimal risk, is to the private operator,” Sukhija alleged.
Sukhija also raised concerns over the tender condition barring casino and casino-related entities from bidding. Citing the Santa Monica Jetty, he claimed that Shanta Infratech had no casino connection when it originally secured the arrangement but alleged that 74% of the company is now owned by Deltin/Delta Corp. “What is this if not backdoor entry?” he asked. He said the tender should include safeguards against a successful bidder subsequently being acquired by a casino-linked company.
Sukhija also sought clarity on the purpose of the three proposed jetties and their impact on public access to the riverfront. “Is the riverfront going to be blocked again? Is access to the traditional ferry services going to be allowed? Are communities and fishermen going to be allowed, or is it a slow way to phase them out?” he asked.
He said he had written to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant seeking that the tender be scrapped. The letter has also been marked to the Captain of Ports, Ports Minister Digambar Kamat, Panaji MLA Atanasio Monserrate, the Chief Secretary, and the CCP. “Maybe the CM is not aware of this tender; that’s why we have written to him. He should come on record and say that what is in this tender is wrong and the tender should be scrapped,” Sukhija said. He called for public consultation and a proper environmental impact assessment before any decision is taken.
AAP Goa president Valmiki Naik, who was present at the briefing, alleged that public funds were being used to develop infrastructure that could subsequently benefit private interests. “The government has built infrastructure in the name of a government office, and behind that, private companies are using this money for their schemes,” Naik alleged.
Naik also questioned the proposed yacht docking marina and other infrastructure, claiming that the arrangement could establish a precedent for similar projects along Goa’s rivers.
