the goan I network
PANAJI
Prior to the Panaji by-poll, with Taleigao supremo Atanasio ‘Babush' Monserrate joining BJP's coalition partner Goa Forward, there was an indication that there would not be any Ruling and Opposition and both groups would take decisions unanimously and work in the interest of the City.
However, that is not the case.
Both Ruling and Opposition corporators were at loggerheads during CCP's ordinary meeting on Thursday over transfer of 1.71 lakh square metres of land to Goa Waste Management Corporation for setting up the integrated solid waste management plant at Bainguinim.
This incident is a clear indication that though Babush has joined GF to support BJP in the State, his corporators will not readily toe their line on every issue. With such sharp differences coming out in the open, the question that comes to fore is whether it will affect the setting up of the waste management plant facility at Bainguinim.
"So what if Babush has joined GF? How can we transfer the land which is already in the possession of the CCP? Instead, we can give it on lease to the State Government and get ‘some' revenue for CCP at least", said a corporator from Babush camp.
Another corporator stated: "This huge piece of land is CCP's asset. Once we hand it over to the GWMC, we will lose out completely on it. And why should we give it back when it has been acquired for us. Instead we can sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GWMC so that the plant handles waste from few areas including Panaji and may be Old Goa."
Opposition corporators are, however, of the opinion that CCP should hand over the land as soon as possible as the State Government has shown willingness to fund the entire project and CCP will not have to spend any money.
"The CCP has not spent a single rupee on acquiring the land for the Corporation. So what is the harm in handing the same land to GWMC? We will get a permanent solution to the perennial problem of garbage in Panaji",
said an Opposition
corporator.
Even after the bosses of the Ruling and Opposition Babush and Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar are a part of the coalition parties, the cold war between them doesn't seem to have ended. Will Panaji once again miss the bus as far as the state-of-the art plant in Bainguinim is concerned?
