Team Herald
PANJIM: Fed up of complaining to the government authorities about the alleged mismanagement with regards to garbage and parking during the ongoing Lokotsav 2025, the residents of Campal have demanded that the festival be stopped if the authorities cannot handle it.
Claiming that the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) is collecting the garbage at the festival on a daily basis, while the contract has been given to a Super Clean Agency of Datta Waghmare of Vasco, former Councillor Patricia Pinto, while speaking to media persons said, “The ongoing Lokotsav is organised by the Department of Art and Culture and I have come to know that they have appointed an agency to put up stalls, organise parking, collect and segregate garbage. However, I am unaware as to where the garbage is being taken and the CCP is not involved in it in any way.”
“But now it is being observed that a CCP vehicle is collecting the garbage from the venue and taking it to St Inez without getting paid for it. This has to stop. The agency which has been appointed for the work should collect the garbage,” she said.
Alleging that most areas earmarked for parking of vehicles have been allocated to the stall owners, which is sheer greed for money, she said, “The people are compelled to park their vehicles in residential areas at Campal.”
“The minister has the audacity to say that if the people of Campal are not complaining what is your problem. Mr Minister we are fed up with complaining. The Lokotsav should be stopped if the authorities cannot handle it,” she demanded.
“I have learnt that there are 500 stalls. If only 100 stalls can be handled, then permission should be given to only that many stalls,” she said.
When O Heraldo contacted, CCP Commissioner Clen Madeira said, “The event is being organised by the Department of Art and Culture so they will be in a position to respond to these allegations.”
Art and Culture Director Sagun Velip said, “The event has been organised by three departments namely Art and Culture, Sports Authority of Goa and Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP). The focus is on segregation of garbage at source. Once segregated, the garbage is dumped at a place and later picked by the CCP workers.”
Sean AdEvent proprietor Seby Martins said, “The agency’s mandate is to collect the garbage and segregate it to ensure CCP workers take the same to the Corporation's garbage treatment facility.”