MARGAO
Margao Municipal Council’s ambitious bio-methanation project to streamline the Sonsodo garbage management has come under the scanner of senior state-level bureaucrats.
Even as the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) has submitted preliminary estimates amounting to Rs 42-odd crore to set up seven bio-methanation plants at Sonsodo, senior officials are believed to have questioned why the MMC has not set in motion the process to set up three plants for which the government has already granted administrative approval.
Sources told The Goan that the issue had figured at a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary and attended by Director of Municipal Administration, Dr Tariq Thomas, GWMC officials and recently-posted MMC Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes.
When the issue of garbage came up for discussions, DMA Dr Thomas is believed to have explained to the Chief Secretary that his office has already granted administrative approval to the MMC to set up three plants in Margao.
The DMA is believed to have said instead of floating a tender or going on the GeM portal to shortlist the companies to take up the project, the MMC has asked for fresh estimates from the GWMC to set up the seven plants.
GWMC officials, sources said, conceded that the GWMC had prepared a file for the MMC to set in motion the process to set up the three plants, but the process was not taken to its logical conclusion.
Questions are now being raised in the corridors of MMC why the civic body is dragging feet to float the tender or shortlist the contractor via the GeM portal when the DMA’s office has already sanctioned administrative approval for the project.
The huge cost of the plants has also come to haunt the Margao civic body. While each of the plants will cost the civic body around Rs 2.5 crore, the latest preliminary estimates prepared by GWMC peg the cost at Rs 42-odd crore.
That’s not all. Questions are raised in the MMC how could the seven plants cost the civic body over Rs 42 crore when a tender notice floated by Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) to set up a 5 TPD bio-methanation plant for the Sankhali Municipal Council will cost around Rs 2.29 crore.
GSUDA had last week invited agencies/firms for the work of supply, installation, testing and commissioning of 5TPD bio-methanation plant with power generation capacity for the Sankhali Municipal Council.
Given the situation and when the issue of the biomethanation project has come under the scanner of top government officials, all eyes are focused on MMC CO Agnelo Fernandes how he will go about the issue.
The file for the tendering of the three bio-methanation plants with administration approval from the government has been lying in his office since the time of his predecessor, while the council has resolved to go in for the seven plants.
The Chief Officer told The Goan on Sunday that he would discuss the matter with the Chairperson Pooja Naik.
