Concession agreement to set up Sonsodo plant still hangs fire
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, APRIL 28
They nearly came face to face over the ticklish question, but both the Margao Municipal Council and Fomento are yet to ink the concession agreement to set up the waste treatment plant at the Sonsodo dump yard till date.
Nothing is being heard in the corridors of the Margao Civic body on the concession agreement which at one point of time threatened to mar relations between Fomento and the civic body, so much so that the high-powered Committee headed by the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat had to intervene to save the situation.
Days after dispatching a copy of the draft agreement, the Margao Municipal Council on Wednesday handed over a CD of the draft concession agreement to Fomento.
Chief Officer Y B Tawde informed that Fomento had asked for a CD of the draft agreement, which the civic body has handed over to the company on Wednesday.
Replying to a question, the Chief Officer said that Fomento is yet to communicate to the civic body on some of the changes effected to the draft concession agreement.
MMC Chairperson Savio Coutinho said that it’s surprising that Fomento had taken a long time to approve the draft Concession agreement when they were insisting on signing of the agreement long ago.
Fomento had insisting from day one that the Margao Civic body first sign the concession agreement before they could begin full-scale operations at Sonsodo.
As against this, the MMC Chairperson wanted the company to commence the waste screening and segregation work on grounds that the draft Concession agreement requires to be vetted by the Municipal legal counsel and approved by the Civic body.
Incidentally, the inspection of the Sonsodo dump yard called by the Urban Development Minister, Joaquim Alemao is yet to take place till date.
Both Alemao and the MMC Chairperson Savio Coutinho and officials had agreed on the need to inspect Sonsodo to take stock of the situation in view of the fast approaching monsoons.
The inspection, however, has not taken place as they are waiting for the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat to accompany them to Sonsodo.
