MARGAO
The South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) on Tuesday resolved to insist on the builders to plant trees at the initial stage of the construction as part of the Project Green in Margao, Fatorda and Ponda.
Addressing the media after a meeting on Tuesday, PDA Chairman & MLA Krishna (Daji) Salkar informed that though the PDA norms mandate the builders to plant trees in an admeasuring 100 square metres, the rule is not followed in letter and spirit.
“At the authority meeting today, it has been decided that the PDA will insist on the builders to plant the trees right at the construction stage itself so that the complex sports a green cover when the project is nearing completion,” he said, adding that the decision to grow trees has been taken to make the city areas in the jurisdiction of the PDA green.
The PDA chairman further said that the meeting has decided to conduct a probe on the revenue and expenditure in the retail and wholesale fish market.
“We have seen that the liabilities of the PDA have been mounting with no corresponding revenue. We have decided to find out whether there is a problem of revenue or the collected revenue does not come into the PDA coffers,” he added.
In this context, Salkar said the PDA has decided to terminate the contract of the incumbent contractor and collect the revenue departmentally.
“The officer drafted to collect the revenue from the two markets will get back to the PDA and submit a report on the revenue position,” he said adding that the PDA will then take the future course of action.
On the condition of the PDA retail market, Salkar said that the PDA will take up the repair work at the retail market within the next 10 days. “The work could not be taken up since the PDA had to follow the norms of tender and quotations. We will soon undertake the repair work at the retail market,” he said.
The PDA chairman further said the meeting discussed the issue of construction of the Usgao market under the Public Private Partnership model.
He also said the meeting discussed the criteria that would be adopted for the allocation of the plots at Dhavli-Ponda.
