MARGAO
Margao Municipal Councillors expressed strong reservations to the transportation rate fixed by the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) for the transportation of the city waste from Sonsodo to the Cacora waste treatment plant.
In fact, the Council adopted a resolution to make a plea to the GWMC to explore the possibility of reducing the transportation rate.
When the proposal came up for discussion, Councilor Sadanand Naik sought to know who has fixed the transportation rate of Rs 229.60 km per km to ferry the waste from the city to Cacora.
As pre the bill raised by the MMC, the total distance covered for one trip is pegged around 59 kms and the rate of collection and transportation of waste is put at Rs 224 per km, plus 18 per cent GST and GWMC’s service charge @ 2 per cent, which works out Rs 269.60 per km.
Sadanand pointed out that the rate quoted by the GWMC is on a higher side saying that the Council should ask the Corporation to reconsider the rate.
Goa Forward-backed Councillor Francis Joanes also demanded to know how the GWMC has arrived at the rate, with Chief Officer Gaurish Sankhwalkar saying that the rate has been finalized by the Corporation.
When Sadanand insisted that the rate quoted by GWMC is almost double the rate by which the waste can be transported to Cacora, Chairperson Damu Shirodkar said the Council can make a request to the GWMC to reconsider the rate.
The Chairperson, however, cautioned that the Council will have to face the consequences if the bill raised by GWMC amounting to Rs 21.87 lakh for a period of three months is not paid by the Civic council given that the issue is under the scanner of the High Court.
