CANACONA
The electricity department in Canacona faced a loss of Rs 6.7 lakh after 22 electricity poles and as many alignments were damaged on account of pre-monsoon rains along with cyclonic winds in Canacona taluka.
According to Canacona Assistant Engineer (Electricity) Govind Bhat, power lines and poles were damaged in Amone and Katiebhag (Poinguinim), Agonda, Colomb, Patnem, and Palolem (municipal areas) and in Khotigao.
Unhappy over the delay in cleaning drainages and roadside gutters, councillors at the Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) on Saturday voiced their displeasure over pre-monsoon works in the municipality.
During the council meeting, councillors ganged up to complain about non-implementation of pre-monsoon works in the municipality. They complained that gutters and drainages were still not cleaned and water-logging incidents had taken place almost everywhere in the municipality.
Speaking to media persons after the council meeting CMC Chairperson Sara Shamba Naik Desai said the main issues discussed included gutter/drainage cleaning works, door-to-door garbage collection, developmental works, and regularisation of houses.
“The CMC’s door-to-door garbage collections contract is almost over and also, a new tender issued is cancelled. We have asked the municipal engineer to start the procedure again. We had to collect door-to-door garbage from everyone,” said Dessai.
“If we don’t collect it even once, locals question us and so, our focus is on that and if re-tendering is not happening then we have to extend the existing contract which we do not want to do.”
“It's been over a year now that we have decided to purchase dustbins, and sent our proposal for 5,000 dustbin/trolley bins. But the file continues to remain unprocessed as queries are being raised one after another. The existing door-to-door and hotel collection bins are broken and are not usable and we have plans to purchase 240-litre dustbins with wheels.”
From the last season, 97 seasonal shacks and 109 other shacks were set up in Canacona municipal area, generating a revenue of over Rs 1.25 crore to the council.
However, when it was stated that some shack operators and stall owners had not paid fees, a resolution was passed in the meeting to issue notices to recover the dues from the defaulting seasonal stakeholders.
CMC Vice Chairperson Gandesh Madgaonkar, Councillors Neetu Desai, Hemant Naik Gaunkar, Supriya Desai, Shubham Komarpant, Narcisco alias Nadin Fernandes, Simon Rebello, Ramakant Naik Gaunkar and Laxuman Pagi also participated in the discussions.
The meeting was attended by Chief Officer Laxmikant Desai, Municipal Engineer Dilkhush Gaonkar, Accounts Officers Smita and Namrata Desai.
