PANJIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday admitted that garbage management is marred by corruption at the local governing body level and levelled clear charges on certain elected representatives for being involved in manipulating the funds allotted to the village panchayats and municipalities for waste management under the 14th and 15th Finance Commission.
Sawant said that he has personally observed the level of corruption in the waste management system at panchayats and municipalities, which are prime stakeholders to keep Goa clean.
“There are some who have no idea that there are funds available under 14th and 15th Finance Commission for waste management. But there are some who know very well how to pickpocket that fund,” Sawant said.
“I have seen how they indulge in corruption. Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 are withdrawn in the name of waste management, but not even Rs 20,000 is actually spent,” he charged.
The Chief Minister was speaking at the inaugural function of one-day Stakeholders Engagement Workshop on Waste Management organised by the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC).
Sawant said that some people from villages, for their personal benefits, allow industrialists and hotels to dump garbage in villages, thereby creating waste dumpyards.
Sawant expressed concern over the escalating waste dump yards in villages. “Initially there were garbage dumps in Panjim, Margao, Mapusa and Vasco. But today we see dumps in every village. This is because some villagers allow hotels to dump their waste in their areas in return of money which is around Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000,” he said.
“If such acts continue, then in the next 10 years tourists will stop visiting our State,” he cautioned.
The Chief Minister raised concern that despite spending crores of rupees on waste management, the garbage menace is growing at alarming proportions with no end whatsoever.
He pointed out that the Goa Waste Management Corporation alone spends around Rs 160 crore annually on garbage management.
“In addition to this, the local bodies like municipalities, village panchayats and the Tourism Department also spend funds on garbage management. Even then the problem of garbage persists. Why?” he asked.
Sawant appealed to local self-government bodies to take the issue seriously and take the responsibility of keeping areas under their jurisdiction clean and green.
He asserted that the government is ready to provide funds and technical support, but panchayats and municipalities will have to take the responsibility of keeping areas under their jurisdiction clean.
He also asked the stakeholders to act tough on those seen dumping garbage on the roadside and at public places and seize their vehicles, waste and impose fines.
Sawant said that the government is contemplating to have transfer stations at garbage black spots across the State where people generally tend to dump their garbage.