MARGAO
The first meeting of the newly-constituted South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) saw the members grappling with issues relating to mounting liabilities and irregularities, delay in the e-tendering of the market sopo process, outstanding water and power bills running into lakhs of rupees et al.
SGDPA Chairman, MLA Krishna Daji Salkar remarked that the PDA has only liabilities, seeking to know how the outgoing authority had taken decisions, wondering whether these decisions had the legal sanctity.
Salkar, however, promised to open a new Chapter in the SGPDA, promising the media that the past mistakes will not be repeated by the PDA during his stint in office.
The new SGPDA Chairman made it categorically clear that the e-tendering of the wholesale fish market will be set in motion immediately, promising to complete the process within three months. Till such time, he said the PDA will carry out the job of collecting the sopo departmentally.
When the media sought to know whether the previous Authority had turned a blind eye to the irregularities, Salkar said, “All I can say is that we have come across many liabilities, but there’s been no action. We have no answers. We will have to ask the previous Member Secretary for not initiating action.”
Asked whether he suspects the involvement of the outgoing chairman, Salkar quipped, “I cannot say off hand and without details who was involved. But, I have no answers why it has happened. We have come across an instance today wherein one point was inserted in the minutes when members did not sign. We have no idea why this was allowed to happen.”
Saying he would strictly go by e-tendering to award the wholesale fish market sopo contract, Salkar said, “Only the department will carry out the job. The Chairman cannot get their people to do the job that comes in the domain of the PDA.”
Whether he would press for an inquiry into the PDA functioning, Salkar said it is for the government to take a call. He, however, hastened to add that the new panel will not allow a repeat of the past mistakes. “The government has been appointed to do something good for the PDA and increase the revenue. We have to do the planning to beef up revenue. We will go in for the auctioning of the plots at Dhavli.
The new PDA Chairman said the PDA would take the ongoing work of development of the PDA ground into a parking lot via MPLAD scheme to its logical conclusion on priority.
MLA Vijai Sardesai told the media after coming out of the first meeting that it has come to light that the entire PDA and its assets were being managed by one person and they were utilised as per his whims and fancies. “The money was collected by this person, but the same was not paid to the PDA. The Chairman has even remarked whether it’s SGPDA or the MPDA,” Sardesai said.
MLA Digambar Kamat said the PDA first meeting has resolved to e-tender the sopo collection contracts of both the retail and wholesale fish markets.
