PANAJI
The controversy over the extension of the pay parking contract beyond its term and the disarray in the city caused by the ‘smart city’ work provided Opposition corporators the ammunition to corner Panaji Mayor Rohit Monserrate at Friday’s Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) ordinary meeting.
Corporators from the Opposition, especially former mayors Surendra Furtado and Uday Madkaikar went aggressive raising various issues such as lack of transparency in the Smart City works and also the dubious nature of the extension granted to the existing pay parking contactor beyond his term.
Monserrate was accused of granting the extension to the pay-parking fee collection contractor in violation of procedures but the mayor sought to defend the decision saying it was done “in the interest” of the CCP.
Other issues that saw tempers fraying a bit was the excavation of roads which has begun in St Inez without consultation with the CCP or giving any advance notice to residents.
Several corporators objected to the roads being dug again barely months after they were haphazardly re-surfaced in June following several months of contractors working on sewerage and smart roads projects of the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL).
Another issue that created some heat in the proceedings of Friday’s meeting was the sopo contract and alleged irregularities in collection of daily fees for space in the CCP market.
Monserrate however denied all the allegations levelled by the Opposition councillors even as he announced a record Rs 90 lakh collection from the allocation of stalls for the Asthami Fair, this year.
He said, these funds will be utilised for development works in the wards of the city.
Meanwhile, Monserrate who is also a member of the board of IPSCDL informed the meeting that the ‘smart city’ works, which had been abruptly stopped in June because of the monsoon, will restart from November.
The mayor however had no explanation for the re-digging of roads and work being carried out in St Inez area. He said a meeting with the contractors of the ‘smart city’ projects will be held next week but did not spell out the agenda or issues to be taken up.
