Parrikar who arrived a little before schedule at 11 am (much before some ministers) said that with this plant -- the first in India and Asia -- Goa has got another first like the Panaji sewage treatment plant, which was one of its kind in India, he had installed during his first stint as chief minister of Goa.
PANAJI
The much-awaited Saligao mixed waste treatment plant was inaugurated by Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar amid much fanfare in the presence of ministers and MLAs saying “the government has fulfilled yet another promise against all odds.”
“I have to thank all those who made this possible and who supported the plant all along including the Saligao and Calangute comunidades. It was because of them we were able to acquire the land in just 12 days in December 2014 before Jairam Ramesh’ Land Acquisition Act came into effect on January 1,” he said.
“Despite my officers being skeptic, I was confident of the technology because I had seen it myself. It was because of this that we organised the ‘junket’ to Germany, Italy and Austria", Parrikar said adding that he wanted to make the project a success as a means of revenge against those who accused him of spending on foreign junkets.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar urged people to support the project, especially panchayat members who earlier used to grapple with the garbage issue.
“For the people of Goa, a garbage plant meant a Sonsoddo and nobody wanted a Sonsoddo in their backyard,” Parsekar said adding he hoped the Saligao plant would be able to ensure that Goa remains clean and green.
“The garbage plant alone won’t solve the problem. We have to come together and see that garbage is collected, segregated and reaches the plant,” Parsekar said.
The facility, built by a private party on the Design Build Finance Operate Transfer agreement will see the State government paying ₹29.9 crore per year over ten years after which it will own the plant.
