Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Amit Patkar on Friday said that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was stunned when they produced documentary evidence and video proofs of a water tanker carrying sewage at Sancoale thereby proving complete failure of the State administration.
A delegation of Congress met the Chief Minister and urged him to convene a meeting of all the concerned departments and stakeholders and appoint a nodal agency to monitor and regulate the tanker operations in the State, failing which the Congress will not hesitate to stop and check the tankers.
The opposition party also demanded a high level inquiry under retired High Court Judge to investigate tanker operations in the State and loss of revenue to the State treasury.
Patkar said that it was shocking to note that the Water Resource Department (WRD) collects revenue from tanker operators in only three talukas — Pernem, Bardez and Tiswadi. The Department of Transport has registration of only 26 two-wheelers as commercial vehicles operating in the State and that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no mandate to check the quality of water transported in tankers and the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) is completely ignorant on disposal of sewage collected by the tankers.
The Congress alleged that the government has no plans to find solution to the shortage of 80 MLD of water during summer.
