Government’s answer on jetty fails to satisfy Madkaikar

TEAM HERALD

PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said that the he would tender out the jetties presently being used by off-shore casinos after their contracts end. 

Parrikar made this statement during a discussion between RND minister Ramkrishna Sudin Dhavalikar and Congress MLA Pandurang Madkaikar, who had asked the former whether the government had given any permission to off-shore casinos to use the River Navigation Jetty at Panjim. 

Madkaikar also wanted to know whether the government was receiving any rent, the criteria adopted to lease the jetty out and whether the concurrence of the Finance Department was obtained for fixing the rent.

Dhavalikar told the House that permission was indeed given to M V Salgaocar & Bros, Delta Hospitality, Coastal Sports & Ventures Pvt Ltd to use the jetties and this was done to earn revenue for the Department.

Dhavalikar informed the House that before allotting the jetty, applications received from private parties/ agencies were referred to the government and after the directives, rent certificate for the RND Jetty was obtained from PWD and then it was allotted accordingly.

The rent was approved as per Schedule of Rates (GSR) which was obtained from PWD. However, this did not satisfy Madkaikar who said that the permission was for a touch-and-go while here the companies had put up permanent structures on the jetty. 

Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco too intervened in the discussion saying that since it was government property it cannot be given at GSR. It was then that chief minister Manohar Parrikar intervened and while he said that it could be done, he would tender the jetty after the present contracts end.