Oppn MLAs accuse SGPDA of delay in tendering wholesale fish market sopo

MARGAO
With the South Goa Planning and Development Authority still not tendering the wholesale fish market sopo collection, Opposition MLAs, Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat and Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai on Wednesday warned that the SGPDA Member Secretary will be personally liable for the delay in floating the tender and causing loss of revenue to the planning body.

While the duo charged the PDA for deliberate delay in tendering the sopo collection and protecting the contractor, SGPDA Chairman, MLA Wilfred D’Sa refuted the allegations and said the PDA will seek legal advice before taking the call to tender the sopo collection since the matter is presently in the court.

At the SGPDA meeting on Wednesday, both Kamat and Sardesai demanded to know from Member Secretary Vartika Dagur why the SGPDA has repeatedly failed to tender the sopo collection when the PDA had in the past resolved for tendering the collection.

While the Member Secretary is believed to have pointed out that the PDA has set in motion the process to float the tender by sending the file to the PWD, the two MLAs wondered why the PDA has been going slow in tendering the project, saying tendering can bring in handsome revenue for the planning body.

After the meeting, the duo told the media that while the SGPDA had appointed a contractor as a stop gap arrangement, the PDA has failed to finalise the tender and appoint a contractor. “The delay in tendering the sopo collection will amount to violation of the rules in force when the PWD has accorded approval for the sopo tender with an estimated value of Rs 1.73 crore,” Kamat said.

Saying that the responsibility of tendering the sopo collection rests with the Member Secretary, Kamat said the PDA will benefit immensely if any bidder comes with an attractive offer.

Sardesai pointed out that government laid down norms mandate tendering of revenue items, lamenting that the PDA has not been active in tendering the sopo collection. “Here in the PDA, there’s no tendering. A temporary arrangement has become permanent. One person is virtually running the show. We have made it clear that the SGPDA Member Secretary will be taken to task,” he said.

Sardesai said he and Kamat has put on record that the wholesale sopo collection tender should take place without any further delay, making it clear that it is the responsibility of the PDA Member Secretary to get the sopo collection tendered.

When the media later asked PDA Chairman Wilfred D’Sa for his comments on the matter, he said the PDA will seek legal advice from the lawyer given that the matter is presently lying in the court. “There’s a case going on in the court on the sopo tender. The hearing was scheduled last month. We will ask the legal advisor how to go about with the matter,” he said.

Refuting the allegations made by Sardesai that the PDA is protecting the contractor, D’Sa said the PDA is not protecting anyone, saying the PDA will now ask for legal advice since the matter was in the court.