Team Herald
PANJIM: The chiefs of Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) and the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) have crossed swords with the former demanding the sacking of the later and replacing him with an IAS officer.
Panjim Mayor Uday Madkaikar has demanded the sacking of Managing Director and CEO of IPSCDL Swayandipta Pal Chaudhuri stating that he is not willing to cooperate with the city’s municipal authorities.
Uday said “We have been requesting for a list of works being carried out under the Smart City project but he does not want to provide. Let me make it clear to Chaudhuri, we want the list of works being carried out under the Smart City project in three days’ time. If we don’t receive the list then we will stop all the works in the city next week. We need to prepare the city for monsoons and cannot afford to leave it in a mess and get flooded during monsoons.”
Demanding the replacement of Chaudhuri with an IAS officer, he said “Chaudhuri should apologise to the people of Panjim for insulting the CCP and the office of the Mayor. I’m elected by the Corporators of the CCP and we are all representatives of the people. He should be sacked and be replaced with an IAS officer. He has been appointed privately and we have apprehensions about his credentials.”
Uday further stated that none of the works being undertaken by the IPSCDL have been completed, whether it is the cycle track behind Kala Academy adjacent to the River Mandovi, the beautification works in Altinho or any other works, none of them are completed.
Holding the IPSCDL responsible for the sliding down of the city’s ranking in the Swachh Sarvekshan year after year, Uday said “We ranked 90, then 155 and now 377. If we are really trying to be a smart city in the last four years then why is our ranking going down. They don’t coordinate and then the city remains in shambles with debris everywhere.”
He further informed that at times there is duplication of work and in instances the CCP has had to cancel works as it would be done under the Smart city project.
Further questioning the huge amount for renovation of office work, he said “They have tendered renovation works of the office for Rs 20 crore. I would request them, give me only Rs 10 crore out of these Rs 20 crore, I will put the St Inez Creek in order. Rs 20 crores will be spent on only renovation works of the office?”
