TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee Chief John Fernandes has accused Goa government of giving contracts of concretization of Mira Mar-Dona Paula road and construction of Calvim Bridge to ‘BJP sympathizers.’
He has also alleged that Goa State Pollution Control Board’s clearance to the golf course proposed at Tiracol was due to political pressure.
“The tenders were given to sympathizers of the party. The State government is largely into favouritism and nepotism,” Fernandes alleged at a press briefing at Congress house Saturday. “GSPCB came under political pressure…the government of Goa owes an explanation (on permission to golf course),” Fernandes said.
Leading Hotels Ltd, New Delhi was earlier last week granted consent for setting up a Professional Golfers’ Association-standard 18-hole golf course with allied services such as premium villas and restaurants at Tiracol.
Citing the mess along Mira Mar-Dona Paula road, Fernandes urged the High Court of Bombay at Goa to investigate whether the Rs 70-crore odd contract is loot of State exchequer. The work, which is being carried out since February-end, has inconvenienced local citizens, particularly students and staff of Sharada Mandir School. The dug up road and trenches could not only result in accidents, but are likely to create health and hygiene problems as well.
The Goa State Human Rights Commission has taken cognizance of the matter based on a complaint and issued notices to chief secretary, Goa Infrastructure Development Corporation and Corporation of City of Panaji to reply by June 10. A police complaint was also filed in this regard on Saturday.
The party has also accused the government of tendering the Calvim Bridge to an expensive bidder. “The tender was given to the agency that bid Rs 48.9 crore for the project while a Kerala contractor was sent back saying his bid of Rs 25 crore was less.
Pointing to conversions of green fields, the party head has warned that it would file a police complaint against PDA Member Secretary if license details of a construction coming up at Caranzalem are not disclosed by Sunday.
For the proposed golf course at Tiracol, consent was granted under Section 26 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and Section 21 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and authorization under Rule 5 of the Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundry Movement) Rules 2008.
Fernandes also sought to know from the government whether the firm was pumping ground water as this activity will destroy farming. He insisted that government should make public as to how the golf course will have its own water supply.
“If the company intends to do this, it is highly objectionable. This will come in way of the farmers who are depended on agriculture. Many residents are also relying on this potable water,” he said.
Fernandes also slammed the Indian Coast Guard for failing to clean Goan beaches that have been severely affected by the oil spill, and have said that the Coast Guard should separate from the Indian Navy. He said this would increase its accountability, even as it is understood that the coast guard is quite autonomous from the Indian Navy.
Alleging that it had not received any response from the Coast guard and the State government despite repeated complaints that oil spills were affecting marine life, Fernandes said that it would call on the defence ministry to discuss the issue.
Fernandes is to meet Defense Minister Arun Jaitley in Delhi asking for his intervention to direct the Coast Guard to clean the shores.
