MMC moves to put Sonsodo plant back on the tracks

MMC Assistant engineer, Vishant Naik, who has been designated as the engineer to look after the plant, was forthright in saying that a lone hand will be not be able to do miracles without the support of the City Fathers, engineers and other concerned civic officials.

The assistant engineer pointed out that since Sonsodo is a burning issue, it can be resolved only if everyone, including the Councilors and the Civic officials lend a helping hand to address the issue. “This work on Sonsodo cannot be achieved by one engineer. Resolving Sonsodo is a gigantic task before the Civic body. I only hope that everyone extends their cooperation to resolve the issue”, he said, even as the Councilors promised their wholehearted supported to him in his endeavor.

Meanwhile, the Shadow Councilor for Margao has challenged the MMC to streamline the operations at the Sonsodo plant within six months with respect to the accumulated waste inside the shed and the daily "wet waste" delivered to the Sonsodo plant.

“This is nothing but a sincere bid to instigate the Margao Municipal Council to get into action instead of making periodic announcements without results. We are compelled to throw this challenge to the Council and its mentors specifically, on account of the outbursts of the Council, against citizens who visited Sonsodo and offered assistance to manage the operations at Sonsodo voluntarily”, he said.

Coutinho added: "The remarks of the Goa Forward MMC Ex Chairperson Pooja Naik that the citizens should not enter the Sonsododumpyard without the written permission of the Council, revealed that they were disturbed on being exposed that even after spending over 30 lakhs per month on Contractor's/worker's for segregated waste collection, the waste that reached the plant was in a terribly mixed state, which hampers the smooth processing thereafter, and eventually leading to huge quantity of piled up waste".

He said it is utterly disgusting to note that a whooping 4.50 crores (for 15 months from May 20 to July 21 @ 30 lakhs per month) was spent on Contractor's/workers for segregated waste collection.  “And finally what we find at the plant is mixed waste. 

Focus on migrants births in Goa

MARGAO: The question of migrants from Karnataka and Maharashtra registering the births of new born in Goa figured prominently at the meeting.

Councilor Sadanand Naik drew the attention of the Chair that migrants are coming to Goa for deliveries at the government hospitals with the sole aim to avail benefits of various welfare schemes.

While admitting that the Civic body has no powers to refuse to register birth of new born of migrant parents, Naik said the civic body should be empowered to issue only temporary birth registration so that the child's birth is registered at their native place.

 'There's a clear modus operandi wherein migrants visit Goa at the advanced stage of pregnancy so that the birth takes place in Goa in order to avail government schemes. This has to stop immediately as the day would come when Goans will be strangers in their own land”, he said