Team Herald
MARGAO: Even as Margao Municipal Council Chairperson Savio Coutinho questioned the legal validity of the Garbage Sentinel Scheme launched by MMC, Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardessai argued in its favour and termed it as a “first step in taking punitive action against litterers.”
MMC Acting Chairperson, Tito Cardoso in the morning launched the scheme in the presence of 15 councilors seven of whom arrived after the programme had commenced. The scheme is meant to punish persons who dump garbage by the roadside or in open spaces which have now turned into black spots in Margao.
Tito said that many people from the neighbouring villages throw their garbage in Margao by the roadside and said the council is having a tough time to deal with this and hence has come up with this scheme.
Under the scheme the person giving the evidence will be paid Rs 1,000 while the culprit will be fined Rs 5,000. “At the end of the month whatever amount the informer gets will be paid to him,” said Tito while assuring that the identity of the informer will be protected.
Pictures or video will have to be sent by WhatsApp to 8390208406 and based on that evidence the culprit will be fined. However, in case the culprit challenges the fine then the person who sent the photograph or video will have to depose in the court.
Chief Officer Siddhivinayak Naik pleaded to let this scheme be tried for some time before questioning its validity and assured that as he will be monitoring it, the informer’s identity will be protected. However, he had no answer when questioned how the identity will be protected if the informer had to depose in court nor did he disclose whether a legal opinion has been sought on the scheme.
Responding to the suggestion that it would be better to have CCTV cameras installed at the black spots to photograph the culprits, the chief officer said through the scheme they wanted to make public also participate in keeping the city clean.
Meanwhile, former chairperson Savio Coutinho while admitting that punishment for littering public places is the need of the hour said the garbage sentinel scheme appears to be hurriedly announced out of over excitement.
He also pointed out that the council has not sought legal sanction for the scheme from any quarter including the Directorate of Municipal Administration and feared that it could create unpleasant consequences.
However, Vijai Sardessai came out in support of the scheme and pointed out that one cannot only talk of Swacch Bharat but it has to be implemented too. While admitting that the social media is abuzz with possibility of the scheme being misused, he however said it should at least be tried as something needed to be done.
“I would appeal to the people to support this scheme as the dumping of garbage at the black spots has to be stopped,” he said while personally admitting that the manner in which the black spot issue is being tackled at the moment is not the right solution.
Despite all efforts he lamented that garbage can still be seen on the roadside and pointed out that this should not happen particularly when door to door garbage collection has commenced in Margao.
