MARGAO
The Margao Municipal Council on Friday has finally issued the work order for the highest bidder to transport Sonsodo waste to the Saligao plant for treatment at a cost of Rs 18-odd lakh.
The contract will remain in force for the next 45 days, wherein the civic body would transport the city’s wet waste to Saligao for treatment.
Since the time the Director of Municipal Administration had issued directions to transport the Sonsodo wet waste to the Saligao plant after the civic body was pulled up by the High Court, the MMC had been transporting the waste to Saligao through contractors roped in via quotations.
However, after Goa Forward party chief Vijai Sardesai raised the issue in the just concluded session of the Legislative Assembly how certain contractors close to the ruling dispensation had bagged the transportation contract without the mandatory codal formalities, the civic body was forced to float an e-tender for the waste transportation.
Questions, however, were raised in the corridors of the civic body over the delay by the civic body in appointing the highest bidder by issuing the work order. In fact, many pointed out that while the tender was opened on August 10, the work order was issued by the civic body only on August 18, raising questions why the tender process was not taken to its logical conclusion on priority.
Margao Municipal Chief Officer, Gaurish Sankhwalkar, however, has begged to differ. He said there was no delay in issuing the work order as it being alleged in certain quarters. In fact, the Chief Officer pointed out that the work order was issued only on Friday for the reason that the technical officials wanted to check the vehicles, whether they have complied to the specifications, before giving the contract. “The MMC is mandated to comply with certain guidelines while transporting the wet waste from Margao to Saligao. The specifications includes that the leachate should not spill onto to the road and that the leachate is taken care of by a makeshift tank,” he said adding that the work order has been issued after inspecting the vehicles.
