MARGAO, AUG 26
Unhappy over the worsening traffic situation and garbage collection in the Commercial Capital, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat will hit the city roads early Friday morning to take stock of the deteriorating situation and suggest remedial measures.
A visibly agitated chief minister on Thursday directed Margao Municipal Chief Officer Y B Tawde to report for duty at 6.30 in the morning to monitor the garbage collection on a daily basis.
The emergency meeting with MMC officials and police officials was convened by the chief minister after freedom fighter and MARG convenor Gurunath Kelekar expressed his displeasure over the situation in the city.
Superintendent of Police, South Allan De Sa, DySP Umesh Gaonkar, DySP Traffic Gajanand Prabhudessai, Deputy Collector Johnson Fernandes were amongst the officials summoned by the chief officer to discuss the twin issues of garbage and traffic.
When the chief minister was informed about the infrastructure shortage faced by the civic body on the garbage collection front, Kamat promised to sanction four garbage compactors for the city. He told the Chief Officer to submit a comprehensive proposal on the garbage front to the Director of Municipal administration for approval.
As far as the traffic situation is concerned, the Chief Minister discussed with the officials ways and means to streamline the worsening situation. In this connection, it has been decided to constitute a committee headed by the District Collector, South, G P Naik to look into the traffic problem.
The meeting decided to concentrate on four major roads in the Commercial capital to ease traffic congestion. The St Sebastian Church road, the Old station road, Lohia Maidan road and the Hospicio road will be taken up for improvements in the first phase.
Traffic officials briefed the Chief Minister about the host of measures recommended by the department to improve the situation.
When contacted, district Collector, G P Naik said the district traffic committee will be constituted immediately, adding that representatives of MARG and NGO’s, besides officials will be inducted on the committee.
