TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar assured that the beach cleaning work orders will be tendered in the first week of February and attributed the delay to files pending with the Law and Finance departments.
Responding to media queries about the delay in issuing the work orders despite the tenders being finalized, Parulekar said that it was governmental processes that were taking time. Both work orders for mechanized beach cleaning operations and beach safety and lifeguard services have been delayed, and the present contractor for lifeguard services ~ Drishti’s contract has been extended.
“The file is pending with the Law and Finance departments and will be cleared by the first week of February,” Parulekar said.
The Tourism department had finalized the tenders in early December. The beach safety work orders too have not been issued with Drishti running the operations based on oral request by government to extend their services.
“There is no formal written request to them to continue but we have asked them to continue, since they have been manning the beaches for the last five years. There is an understanding between us,” Parulekar said.
