TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Drishti Group providing Special Response Services (water patrol and lifeguarding) along Goa’s beach belt since 2008 emerged triumphant in the triangular contest for yet another term as the tendering process ended late Wednesday evening. Likewise Ram Engineering, another Mumbai based agency has bagged the contract for comprehensive beach cleaning of Goa’s 105 kilometer coastline through mechanized and manual methods.
A senior official in the tourism ministry said that both agencies will have to give preference to selection of Goans while appointing personnel and the tenure of contracts for both services are for a period of five years.
Drishti Group was the lowest in the financial bids quoting Rs 28 crore per year as against the other two bidders namely BVG and Super Coats.
In the beach cleaning tenders, Ram Engineering quoted Rs 13 crore per year and was the lowest bidder as against Eco Clean and BVG.
Tourism department will shortly sign up agreements with both agencies and commence the beach cleaning exercise at the earliest. A fresh agreement with DSRS will also be signed in the next couple of days. The DSRS contract with the Goa government had been extended six times since the original contract terminated in June this year. Close to 500 lifeguards are serving the DSRS.
According to officials Ram Engineering will provide beach cleaning services for North and South Goa.
“This will include collection of garbage, segregation and disposal through mechanized and manual methods. A workforce of 500 personnel is expected to be engaged for this task.
“We have finally completed the tendering process for two major tourism related services,” said a top official in the Tourism department adding that tourists visiting Goa can now experience well maintained and safe for swimming beaches. The tourism ministry is now proposing for ultra modern toilets, changing rooms and locker facilities on all beaches of Goa. “This is the next exercise we are embarking on,” said this top official adding that by March-April 2014 all beaches in Goa would have toilets, changing rooms and locker facilities. The toilets proposed are portable and disposal will be in a scientific manner.
