MARGAO
Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vishwajit Rane has stamped his authority over the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) sending a message loud and clear that he would not allow any “fishy” business in the PDA wholesale fish market over the sopo collection contract.
In the instant case, the SGPDA had engaged a private contractor from Fatorpa, Suraj J Desai, who incidentally happens to be the Quepem BJP Yuva Morcha chief, for supplying around 8-9 labourers for cleaning and assisting the SGPDA staff for levy collection and maintenance of the wholesale fish market.
However, in what appears a game of one-upmanship and a clear signal that he alone, and no one else in the government, would call the shots vis-à-vis the affairs of the SGPDA coming under the TCP department, Rane got the SGDPA Member Secretary Vinod Kumar to terminate the contract within hours after the Minister took to the Tweeter to warn of strict action against the SGPDA Member Secretary Vinod Kumar.
The Goan understands that no sooner than the Minister took to social media to express his displeasure over the PDA’s decision to engage a private contractor to supply labourers in the wholesale fish market, the PDA member Secretary rushed to issue an order, terminating the work order.
Sources further informed that the PDA Member Secretary along with the PDA staff then rushed to Panaji before noon to submit copies of the termination letter to the Minister and ward off any disciplinary action.
What agitated the TCP Minister was the PDA’s decision to engage the private contractor, with a brief to take up cleanliness and also assist the PDA staff to levy sopo collection without tendering and due process in violation of the High Court order.
In the tweet, Rane spoke of initiating a departmental inquiry into the matter and warning of strict action against the Member Secretary and others for engaging the contractor.
What is believed to have further infuriated the Minister was that the PDA has engaged the contractor for three months when at its first meeting held last month the body had resolved to collect the wholesale market sopo departmentally.
In the terminating letter, the SGPDA Member Secretary Vinod Kumar said the PDA during an inspection had found no proper arrangement of vehicle parking, traffic circulation within the market was not proper and the space between the parking of vehicles is not properly done, adding that the market is not clean and water is allowed to be discharged in the operational area of the market.
Contractor Suraj Desai, however, has rejected the charges levied by the PDA Member Secretary, adding that he has been assiduously carrying out the job in the wholesale as per the terms and conditions.
Desai further said the charges levelled by the PDA Member Secretary were false and baseless, stating that the PDA member Secretary cannot terminate the work order without allowing him to reply to the allegations.
