TEAM HERALD
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PORVORIM: At a time when the government has been appealing for greater participation in garbage management in the State, a senior bureaucrat has allegedly blocked the concerted efforts of residents in Aldona to collect, sort and disposal off waste generated in the village.
Undeterred by the indifferent attitude of the bureaucrat, the residents are now determined to explore other ways to ensure cleanliness in Aldona.
“The ‘Aldona Citizens Waste Management Initiative’ (ACWMI) is a public service venture taken up by some leading citizens of Aldona and supported wholeheartedly by the Lions Club of Aldona. The plan was to work with the Aldona Panchayat for the collection, sorting and disposal of waste generated in Aldona,” said a resident, Savio Figueiredo.
“The Comunidade Fraternal De Aldona generously agreed to lease a plot of 1,500 sq metres at the border of Aldona to facilitate the cause.”
“The proposal had to be approved by the Administrator of Comunidades (North) and then the North Goa collector to enable the panchayat to apply for government funds for waste treatment. Both offices sat on the file for long periods of time, while the constant change in sarpanchas at Aldona also added to the delay,” Figueiredo added.
After considerable delay, Figueiredo said the file finally went to an under-secretary in the government for final approval. “He has now objected to the entire proposal, stating that the Comunidade cannot lease land for the purpose of waste management, as per his reading of the Code of Comunidades. So we are now back to square one,” Figueiredo added.
Refusing to be defeated, Figueiredo said the ACWMI “has decided to take matters in its own hands and do the job with the help and support of the people of Aldona.”
“Simultaneously, a team including Comunidade members will interact with the under-secretary to persuade him to approve the project.”
“The ACWMI has also started a Fund Drive to collect funds to start the project on its own. For total transparency, the accounts will be displayed at various locations at regular intervals,” informed Figueiredo.
