MARGAO
Work on the Rs 8.8 crore Cuncolim power project will finally get underway, but without any formal launching, apparently to keep politics out of the prestigious project which saw the Congress and the Goa Forward Party jostling to claim credit.
Two days after Congress MLA Clafacio Dias threatened to storm the Aquem Power House if the Power department delayed any further the issuance of the work order to the contractor, Power Minister Nilesh Cabral on Sunday announced that the contractor will get the work order on Monday from the Executive Engineer, Margao.
In another development on Sunday, Goa Forward Party Cuncolim leader Yuri Alemao issued a statement stating that work order for the power project will be issued in a day or two and thanked Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai and Power Minister Nilesh Cabral and ex-Minister Pandurang Madkaikar for fast tracking the power tender.
Power Minister Nilesh Cabral told the media on the sidelines of the BJP workers interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Multipurpose ground, Borda, on Sunday that the contractor had met him on Saturday and has agreed to execute the project immediately.
“Accordingly, the contractor will get the work order on Monday, but there will be no launching or the
foundation stone and the contractor will start the work as per the schedule,” Cabral told the media.
Saying that the Congress has the habit of laying foundation stones and not completing the projects, Cabral said he has decided to first start the work and then inaugurate the project. “Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias has been after me to lay the foundation stone for the project, but I have my own style of functioning. I will first commence the work and then inaugurate the project,” Cabral said, while steering himself clear of the political controversy between the Congress and the Goa Forward Party.
Meanwhile, Yuri Alemao said it’s due to the efforts of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai, ex-Power Minister Madkaikar and current Power Minister Nilesh Cabral that the tender was fast tracked. “We will take up work in a phased manner. Our party president Vijai Sardesai has today once again spoken to the Chief Minister regarding the work to be fast tracked,” he added.
Both the GFP and the Congress sought to claim credit for the Cuncolim power project. On Friday, suspecting sabotage by the rival political party, Cuncolim Congress MLA Clafacio Dias threatened to take a morcha to the power department if the work order was not issued to the contractor by Monday.
