the goan I network
MARGAO
Even as the seven-day time given to the Margao Municipal Council to take over the Sonsodo waste management plant ends on Wednesday, the government has convened a meeting of the High Powered Coordination Committee (HPCC) on Friday to address the entire gamut of issues concerning solid waste management with Fomento set to exit Sonsodo.
Chief Officer Ajit Panchwadkar told The Goan that it may not be possible for the civic body to take over the Sonsodo waste treatment facility from Fomento on Wednesday, and the process of taking over the plant may take a couple
of days.
Fomento representatives called on the MMC Chief Officer on Tuesday evening to discuss the smooth hand over of the waste treatment facility.
While Panchwadkar informed that it may not be possible for the Civic body to take over the plant on Wednesday as per the Court order, the Fomento representative sought in writing, whether the civic body wants to utilize the manpower and other equipment belonging to the company.
Fomento in its letter issued to the MMC on Monday had urged the Civic body to decide and communicate whether the MMC wishes to take over the contracts of the labour, technicians, operators at the plant. As on Tuesday evening, the company had not received any communique from the Civic body regarding the same.
Fomento officials pointed out that if the Civic body has no plans to take over the contracts of the labour and technicians, the company would have no choice but to terminate their services by giving relevant notice period.
A section of MMC Councilors along with Margao MLA Digambar Kamant had favoured that the Civic body retain the Fomento manpower working at the Sonsodo plant till the municipality gets a hang of the operations of the solid waste management at the site.
While sources in the know informed that MMC officials now seemed in favour of retaining the Fomento manpower for a short time, no official communique has gone to the company till
date. Meanwhile, Panchwadkar has said the HPCC meeting chaired by CM Pramod Sawant is expected to prepare a road map for solid waste management in
Margao.
Sources said the meeting will discuss crucial aspects, including whether the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) will take over the operations at Sonsodo or whether the Civic body should run the plant by floating an Expression of Interest, as suggested by GWMC Managing Director Levinson
Martins.
The HPCC meeting will also deliberate whether GWMC should install the latest plant and machinery at the existing shed or raze down the shed as part of the plan to get a state of the art solid waste treatment plant at Sonsodo.
