the goan I network
VASCO
A special meeting of the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) on Wednesday morning witnessed heated arguments after some councillors complained that the council had not provided labour to engage in pre-monsoon works to clear the clogged nullahs and gutters.
Raising the issue at the meeting, the aggrieved councillors alleged that the monsoon could begin at anytime and could cause flooding in Vasco due to clogged drains and nullahs.
Councillor Saifullah Khan accused the chairperson of failing in his duty by not getting approvals for labourers from the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA).
“We have regularly been demanding labourers from the chairperson and MMC as the monsoons are nearing and main spots have to be cleaned as the nullahs and gutters
are choked.”
“Labourers are required at all costs or Vasco will get flooded this monsoon. If the DMA was not giving approvals for labourers, then it is the fault of the chairperson as he should have taken us councillors to the DMA.”
“We could have told them that we need labourers at all costs because we are responsible for our respective wards and citizens need clean infrastructure as they pay taxes to the government,” said Khan.
In reply, MMC Chairperson Deepak Naik said the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) had not given approvals to hire labourers and that the previous monsoon works were tendered through the PWD.
“Every year, we get labourers to do the work, but this year we did not get approval to hire labourers from the DMA. We were directed to go in for a contract to clean gutters and we have done all estimates and have put in a
tender.”
“There were no participants for the tender and after extension, we got a contractor which turned out to be a single tender and we put it for approval. After the PWD’s approvals, the work will begin,” said Naik.
“This process has taken time and councillors feel that pre-monsoon works have not been done in their ward. But I want to assure that there will be no flooding in Vasco because we have taken precautionary measures and engaged MMC labourers in pre-monsoon work a month ago and major spots and outlets have been cleaned,”
he added.
