TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: Politics could possibly be the reason for the allegations and counter allegations over the construction of a footbath within the jurisdiction of the Sanguem Municipal Council. The elections saw a pitched battle between the NCP candidate – he lost – and the BJP. And the proxy battle seems to have continued even after the results were out, leading many to question as to what the truth actually is.
According to an allegation by an NGO, the footpath project – work on which began some days back – has no NOC from the lawful owners of road touching properties and without the NOC from the PWD, TCP and the forest department; as well as without the proper tendering procedures being followed thus violating the provisions of the Highways Act and leading to an expenditure of over Rs 6 crore.
However, Chief Officer Pramod Dessai has very categorically denied these allegations saying that not even a single paisa has been paid. And whatever money received from the Centre has been deposited in the State Bank of India, Sanguem branch.
He however admitted that the work order was issued in February 2013.
“What money we have got from the Centre we have not paid anything as such. Nobody involved in corruption,” Pramod Dessai told Herald
Explaining, he said the contractor went to the site to check the feasibility and found some 80 electric poles on the land. There were also some locals agitating about the project. He also said that the contractor had paid a guarantee amount of Rs 17 lakh.
Local MLA then called the stake holders, representatives of BSNL, councilors, chairperson, consultant, electricity department officials and the contractor and asked the electricity department to move a proposal on internal cabling.
There is also an allegation that the chief officer in February 2013 issued the work order without the performance guarantee “which is a breach of trust and then applying for NOC from the TCP … and further payment of Rs 12.5 lakh to a private architect without the approval…” is a fraud since the Sanguem CO has the power to sanction a maximum amount of Rs 4 lakh due to its class ‘C’ category.
Replying to this the council said that the reason they did not force the contractor to pay a performance guarantee – amounting to rs 27 lakhs – as the site was not ready.
“In fact if we had done that we (municipality) would have to pay damages” the CO argued adding, “As far as the TCP NOC goes, the state highways come under the PWD and the department has given clear cut instructiosn (NOC) to complete the project.”
He also said that the land from Curchorem to Cacora upto Dando Sanguem was acquired for road widening in 1995.
On the payment to consultant, the CO said that one of the conditions of the consultant Mahesh Naik was the schedule of payment. And at the time of tendering, the council was supposed to pay Rs 20 lakh.
However, the municipality only paid some Rs 12 lakh which will be reinmbursed by GSUDA.
“The work started 2 days back and is supposed to get over before March 14. But till date the contractor has not been paid anything,” desai reeterated.
According to the NGO, due to the willful negligence of the chief officer of the Sanguem municipal council with a aim of getting commissions is totally waste of the public exchequer because it is not only illegal but there is a duplicity of works – two other legal and upcoming government projects – a parallel bridge and the improvement of 7.20 kms of road – are overlapping on this illegal work and thus this footpath has to be demolished in future as per the RP 2021, the TCP Act and the Highways Act.
The NGO also alleged that according to the Goa Municipalities Act 1968, municipalities have no power to acquire or hold private properties and national and state highways and the SMC has criminally executed an unlawful deed by illegally and arbitrarily and without jurisdiction trespassing into the road touching properties of the lawful private owners at a stretch of 400 meteres and the fruit bearing and teak wood trees were smashed and uprooted by using a JCB machine, a local NGO, Human Rights Defenders alleged.
An FIR was filed against the SMC under Sections of 447 and 427 for criminal trespass. And the TCP department has rejected the applications for the NOC on the September 2013 stating that the project is within the road widening area of the state highway no 6 it shows that this project is a case of fraud, the NGO claimed.
However, according to the council, since the land in question is a State Highway, TCP permission is not needed.
