PANAJI: Drishti Marine has denied allegations of a scam in the procurement of dustbins by the beach cleaning agency and has vowed legal action against the NGO Hope Foundation for accusing them of impropriety.
In a notice sent to the NGO as well as to several media houses, the company has accused the NGO of making “certain false, malicious and defamatory statements”.
Drishti has claimed that since the normal garbage bins were toppled by stray cattle and dogs, the agency out of their own innovation supplied art bins, which can be grounded in the sand and which have a lid to prevent the menace of stray cattle and dogs disrupting the garbage.
“Separate garbage bins are provided to shack owners for wet garbage and dry garbage. Garbage is segregated at the source and deposited at Saligao Waste Treatment Plant.
It is needless to mention that we can issue the bill towards the art bins supplied,” Drishti has said.
Claiming that “many of these programmes are launched by them from their own funds considering interests of the State”, Drishti also claimed that they have installed mini-composting units to handle wet bio-friendly waste on site for the shacks.
“As use of machines on the beaches have the potential to damage the sand dunes, our clients are using beach strainers, which can separate cigarette buts, glass pieces, wooden twigs and bottle caps from the other garbage,” Drishti said.
Drishti also pointed out that the HC has been monitoring the progress made by the State government in the matter of award of beach cleaning contract. “We have pointed out to the Court that we are continuing to undertake beach cleaning work by way of ad-hoc arrangement, whereby they are paid only 60% of the amount in comparison with the previous contractors,” Drishti said.
In 2015, the Goa government had awarded the beach cleaning contract for in North Goa to Bhumika Contractors for around Rs 15 crore.
However, after an inquiry, the Lokayukta gave adverse findings and this resulted in termination of contract.
“Pursuant to the cancellationt, all the beaches in Goa were flooded with garbage and then CM Laxmikant Parsekar called us and sought help in cleaning the beaches on a war footing,” Drishti said.
“In view of Code of Conduct, government could not issue a work order. We thus took up the work without a work order or advance payment and cleaned all the beaches within a week by engaging labour from Goa as well as outside on a war footing,” Drishti claimed.
