lCouncillors say administration department deliberately trying to stall the project lSanitation department says project cannot be implemented without workforce and vehicles lCity fathers says only excuses are given and no solution is sought
TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Who is responsible for the delaying tactics in a bid to scuttle the door-to-door waste collection project in the commercial capital?
This question has come to the fore as both the Municipal administration and the City Fathers have come under the scanner for cold shouldering the project under the pretext of manpower constraints.
A section of city fathers in private point accusing fingers at the administration for creating hurdles on grounds that the civic body has no wherewithal to execute the project. The councillors pointed that the sanitary section is hell bent in delaying the implementation of the project since it means additional work for the officials and staff manning the sanitation department. “Instead of finding ways on how to go about the work, we only find excuses from the sanitation cell aimed to stall the project,” remarked a city father, who was open to the implementation of the scheme in his ward.
“The fact that the sanitation section has deliberately put forth the proposal to the government to grant permission to recruit 200 workers has raised many an eyebrow. The project could have been started even with 100 workers, with five workers in each of the 20 municipal wards,” the councillor pointed, while saying that the annual wage bill of the 200 workers for door-to-door waste collection works out to Rs 2.5 crore.
On the other hand, the sanitary section says that the project cannot be implemented without adequate number of hands and machinery. “We have asked for 200 workers and four trucks on hire to implement the project. The city fathers should understand that door-to-door waste collection cannot be accomplished without workforce,” remarked an official in the know.
With the MMC deciding against implementing the project from July 1 for want of workers and trucks, the civic body is now toying with the idea of starting the project in one or two wards, apart from the Madel ward, where the scheme has been in force since last year.
