the goan I network
PANAJI
Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat on Wednesday made a forceful plea to the state government to revisit the issue of the tourism department renewing the beach cleaning and safety contracts of Drishti Life Saving.
Kamat said, he was more than convinced that “all is not well” in beach cleaning and safety contracts of the tourism department citing the issues raised during Question Hour and the discussion on tourism demands as well as the Appropriation bill in the Goa legislative assembly’s monsoon session which concluded last week.
“We had brought illegalities to the notice of the government,” Kamat said, adding that renewals under GFR-184 is in complete violation of the law.
“I urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who also holds the Finance portfolio, to review the matter,” Kamat said, recalling the proceedings of the House.
Kamat recalled that Tourism Minister Manohar (Babu) Ajgaonkar in reply to a starred question on July 17, had confirmed that M/s. Drishti Life Saving Pvt. Ltd’s contract for beach cleaning work under GFR-184 had expired on July 15 and that it had been renewed nine times since December last year.
Kamat said, the government has paid Rs 2.62 crores for every 106 days, adding up to Rs 26.20 crores for the entire contract.
Ajgaonkar’s reply also mentions that the contract expired on June 30, 2019, which reveals that Lifeguard Services were not available for the last one and
half month.
The reply also mentions that the government paid Rs. 28.30 crores per annum to M/s. Drishti Lifesaving Pvt. Ltd. adding up to Rs 141.50 crores for five years, he said and urged the government to study both the contracts and award work to the local contractor who shouldered the same tasks for lower costs.
