The Goa government’s Public Works Department (PWD) runs various Water Treatment Plants in the State. Strangely for the treatment of raw water the chemical used is not uniform at all the plants.
While at some plants they use Alumina Ferric (Alum) which costs around Rs 22000 a tonne, the PWD engineers at some plants are high-handedly using Poly Aluminum Chloride (PAC) which costs around Rs 45,000 a tonne. Besides the cost being more than double, the Poly Aluminum Chloride being powder is a potential health hazard to the labourers handling it while the Alumina Ferric being in the form of a block is safer to handle.
Corruption could be the only reason why some engineers are dubiously using a chemical double the cost. This is a glaring case of it being a Public Waste Department.
Every government officer being the custodian of the State exchequer has to ensure that every paisa spent from the state coffers is judiciously done with utmost sincerity and absolute accountability.
In public interest an immediate free and fair inquiry must be held and necessary deterrent action must be taken against those officers found willfully causing loss to the State exchequer.
