MARGAO
With the Director of Municipal Administration Dr Tariq Thomas questioning the Margao Municipal Council’s decision on batting for the seven bio-methanation plants, each costing Rs 4.81 crore, when his office had approved three such plants, each costing Rs 2.62 crore, will the government give a nod to the seven plants?
All eyes are on Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo to see whether he will get the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to approve the seven bio-methanation plants, overruling the strong objections by BJP-backed councillors in the Margao Civic body, besides citizens’ groups.
Some of the questions will soon come to the fore as the proposal is expected to return to the government’s court when the MMC knocks on its doors for administrative approval for the seven plants.
It is not out of place to mention here that the Director of Municipal Administration Dr Tariq Thomas had just a couple of months ago granted administrative approval for three bio-methanation plants proposed to be set up by the Margao civic body at three different places in the commercial capital.
The Goan understands that at a high-level meeting of senior bureaucrats held last week with the Chief Secretary, DMA Dr Thomas was believed to have expressed his reservations to the MMC’s decision to go in for the seven bio-methanation plants when his office had just a couple of months ago granted administrative approval for the three such plants.
Sources in the know say the ball now clearly lies in the government court to take a call on the plants. Reason: The current five-year term of the Margao Municipal Council ends exactly 10 days from now. Though the elected body has adopted a resolution for the seven plants, sources say the government can either grant the administrative approval straightaway or wait for the new elected council to take over the reins of the
civic body to take a call in the matter.
Sources in the MMC informed that Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes is expected to forward the Thursday’s council resolution along with the estimates prepared by the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) to the office of the Director of Municipal Administration for administrative approval.
The ambitious project had kicked up a row of sorts in the corridors of the MMC over the preliminary estimates amounting to a whopping Rs 43.54 crore prepared by GWMC.
While the project cost includes the cost of the two 2000 square meter sheds, retaining wall and roads at Sonsodo, amounting to Rs 7.29 crore, each of the bio-methanation plants is expected to cost the civic body Rs 4.81 crore as per the estimates.
While the GWMC has time and again clarified that the estimates submitted to the Margao civic body are preliminary, it has promised to carry out the actual estimates once the government accords the administrative approval for the seven plants.
