PANJIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday refrained from committing to the opposition’s demand for a House Committee to probe the alleged irregularities in Smart City projects, saying that the “minister is inquiring into it”.
“There are some inter-department issues which the government will rectify. We have appointed a new CEO for IPSCDL. Required measures are being taken to prevent flooding in Panjim,” Sawant said in the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Legislative Assembly.
“The opposition should also talk about the Smart City projects that have benefitted the people and one such example is the flood water pumping station at Mala. The Mala area will never flood is my guarantee,” the chief minister said.
When opposition MLAs continued pressing their demand for the House Committee repeatedly, the Chief Minister said, “Minister (Revenue Minister) is monitoring it…he is inquiring into it.”
The opposition MLAs cornered the government over the mess that has been created in the State’s capital city while executing the Smart City projects and demanded the government to constitute a House committee to probe the alleged irregularity and mismanagement in handling the funds received from the center under the Smart City Mission.
Raising the issue of frequent flooding in Panjim through a calling attention motion in the State Legislative Assembly, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai said, “The flooding was so severe in the City that people started catching tigur (a species of Clariidae family of Goan catfish) along the 18th June road stretch and selling it for Rs. 100. Smart has become stupid and now what you have is a stupid city with a waste of money.”
Revenue Minister and Panjim MLA Atanasio Monserrate stated that at present there is nothing smart in the smart city and claimed that the former Managing Director (MD) of Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) Swayandipta Pal Chaudhuri is solely responsible for the mess in Panjim.
“There was a mess created by Mr Chaudhuri. He was basically the main culprit in creating all the mess as far as Smart City is concerned, the real work started after Chaudhuri left. I understand the difficulties that the people of Panjim have faced during the execution of work under the Smart Cities Mission. I feel sorry for the people of Panjim because they have suffered and I know I could not do much,” Monserrate said.
“Government has paid exorbitant fees to consultants who have done nothing. When we have engineers having 30-35 years of experience in different departments and when they know the city well in and out then why do we need such consultants?,” the minister added.
After Monserrate made this statement, all opposition MLAs in one voice demanded the government to constitute a House Committee to probe the irregularities in IPSCDL.
“Minister is on record to say that there is nothing smart in the smart city. Crores of rupees have been spent by irresponsible consultants, we want a house committee to investigate this,” Vijai Sardesai said.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao said, “Smart City is a scam running in crores of rupees. There is a total collapse in the administration. There is no planning, no coordination, and only scam.”
Replying to the MLAs, Monserrate said that he is now monitoring the ongoing works and assured to get all projects completed within six months excluding monsoon period.
