Moots commercial one under govt’s golden jubilee grants
TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Cuncolim municipality’s controversial Rs 1.60 crore Health Club project is finally down and out. With the investigating agencies groping in the dark over the probe into the Cuncolim Health Club project, the Cuncolim civic body has finally abandoned the controversial project and has instead mooted a commercial project under the government’s golden jubilee signature grants.
While the Cuncolim police literally dragged its feet for over a year and half, unable to cap investigations into the health club project, probe by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, which had called for the project file, has hit a dead end. In fact, while the Cuncolim police said they are waiting for the ACB to complete its probe to initiate further action in the case, the ACB has contended that investigations into the project is within the jurisdiction of the Cuncolim police.
Says Cuncolim civic chief, Devendra Desai: “We had no option than to adopt a resolution abandoning the health club project and go for the commercial project behind the post office under the government’s signature project scheme. It will be two years in three months time since the health club project stands grounded for no fault of the civic body”.
Work on the health club estimated Rs 1.55 crore had come to a halt on the eve of the 2012 Assembly polls when election officials lodged a complaint with the Cuncolim police that work on the project is underway at the spot without the work order. The controversial project then took a new twist with then Cuncolim municipal Chief Officer Shivaji Desai lodging a police complaint against “unknown persons” for undertaking the work sand the work order.
Since then till date, work on the controversial project has not made any headway and police investigations into the project have also hit a block for want of evidence.
“The civic body waited for nearly two years for the police clearance for the project, but in vain. Now, we have decided to utilise the Rs 1.55 crore grant to execute the commercial cum rehabilitation project behind the post office, which will help widen the existing road”, Desai said.
Incidentally, the CMC chairperson exuded confidence that the government will provide additional grant to the civic body to complete the commercial project at the earliest.
