the goan I network
MARGAO
In an interesting development, the Margao Municipal Council on Friday resolved to approach Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to take a call whether the Sonsodo waste treatment plant should be handed over to the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) for its operation, even as the civic body gave its stamp of approval for utilisation of the Rs 27 crore Finance Commission funds to resolve the burning garbage issue.
The MMC proposal approved at the special meeting of the Council on Friday assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the recent affidavit filed by Fomento before the South Goa district court expressing its willingness to hand over the plant for operations to a competent authority such as the GWMC on condition the court pass some appropriate protective orders.
After the proposal was placed by Chairperson Pooja Naik before the city fathers and explained by Chief Officer Ajit Panchwadkar, the Council decided to seek an appointment with the chief minister to request the government to take a final call, whether to hand over the treatment plant to the GWMC or the MMC.
Both the chairperson and the chief officer also told the councillors that the Fomento waste treatment plant is choked with tonnes of waste, adding that it may be in position to accept MMC waste only for the next eight days. After much discussions, the councillors told the chief officer to seek an urgent appointment with the chief minister to discuss the issue threadbare and resolve the plant issue.
In another decision, the special meeting of the Council has decided to file an application before the High Court seeking the withdrawal of the Rs 1 crore amount deposited with the GWMC to undertake repairs of the landfill site.
MMC Chief Officer Panchwadkar explained to the councillors that the High Court had asked the civic body to deposit the amount with the GWMC to repair the landfill site for the storage of remediated waste when the civic body did not shortlist the sites. “Now that the civic body has finalised the sites, the need for the repair of the landfill site does not arise. In such a situation, the Council should move the court to get the money back,” the chief officer said.
The Council meeting also resolved to appoint Jayant Mungaonkar in place of retired Judge Desmond D’Costa as the MMC arbitrator in the Sonsodo arbitration proceedings.
Meanwhile, with funds to the tune of Rs 27 crore of the 14th Finance Commission lying with the civic body unutilised and that the amount is required to be utilised by March end, the Council on Friday gave its nod to utilise major chunk of the funds for garbage and sanitation.
After much discussions, the Council has resolved to set up decentralised bio-methane plants across the city and reduce the waste that is being sent to Sonsodo everyday. The meeting also resolved to set up additional baling machines across the city for the treatment of dry waste.
Councillors pointed out that the balance funds can be utilised for sanitation and for construction of retaining walls of water nullahs and slabs for the storm water drains.
The Council also gave its stamp of approval for the utilisation of the Rs 5 crore development works in the city, with councillors urging the chief officer and the municipal engineer to expedite the process so that the works become a reality before the end of current term in October.
Councillor creates a flutter, suggests study tour on Coronavirus to China
MARGAO: Margao municipal councillor Glen Andrade created a flutter at the Council special meeting on Friday noon when he suggested to the Chair that the civic body should consider organising a study tour to China, Hong Kong and other affected countries to study about the Coronavirus.
For a moment, the Margao city fathers present at the meeting hall were left wondering about the nature of the study tour being suggested by Andrade. It was only later that realisation dawned that the councillor was taking a dig at some of the councillors who had gone for a study tour to Mount Abu.
No sooner Margao municipal Chairperson Pooja Naik called the meeting to order, Glen was on his feet as he proposed to the Chief Officer Ajit Panchwadkar to send those ever willing councillors for a study tour to China, Hong Kong and Singapore, affected by the Coronavirus. He said the study tour of the councillors to these countries will help the civic body to be well prepared to face the virus. He concluded his address by saying that his proposal was for the general safety at the cost of the tax payers money.
