the goan I network
PANAJI
Congress on Sunday alleged that the State Government has awarded Rs 30 crore of electrical and lighting work without following the necessary tendering procedure which could cause a loss to the public exchequer.
“The government should execute work through the lowest bidder following CWC guidelines,” said Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President (GPCC) Girish Chodankar in a press conference. He also questioned the government for trying to inaugurate the bridge when it is not fully completed yet.
Chodankar thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for postponing the inauguration of the third Mandovi bridge, saying that the hurry in inaugurating the bridge may hamper quality of the work and could affect the life of the bridge.
GPCC chief also alleged that technically the length of the actual bridge across the river is around 700 meters but the government, by considering connecting roads and flyover, is boasting that the bridge is the third longest bridge in the country.
By appointing a blacklisted consultant for the project, the government has compromised with the safety of the bridge. The same consultant has been blacklisted in states of Bihar and Gujarat, Chodankar alleged.
Chodankar also said that by planning to inaugurate a new bridge in an inauspicious “Poush” month, according to the Hindu calendar, BJP is again proving that their Hindutva ideology is namesake.
Speaking on the government’s decision to pay Special Economic Zone (SEZ) promoters their money with interest which promoters had paid to government earlier, Chodankar alleged that, the government is pressurising Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) officials to release the interest amount illegally to them.
GPCC chief further claimed that Under the industrial development corporation’s rules, there is no provision to pay interest to the promoters and also there is no provision to return principal amount back to them.
Critisising government on the issue of not granting permission to a Christmas celebration function in Nuvem, Chodankar alleged that a minister pressurised officials not to grant permission for the function.
Chodankar alleged the government is interfering and politicising petty issues. He demanded that DySP, who claimed that the permission was denied to the function as per a resolution of Nuvem Gram Sabha, should be suspended.
Chodankar said that Resolution passed by Nuvem panchayat says no permission should be given to rave parties and pool parties, there is no mention of functions such as Christmas and New Year parties.
