Team Herald
PONDA: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will inaugurate the new 27 MLD water treatment plant at Opa on Khandepar River on Friday at 4.30 pm.
PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar and Ponda MLA Ravi Naik will attend the function. It is learnt that the treatment plant will solve the water shortage problem faced in some parts of Tiswadi especially Kadamba plateau township, as well some parts of Ponda taluka. The existing 140 MLD plant regularly supplies treated water to both the talukas and with the commissioning of the new plant, Opa’s total capacity to supply water would increase to 167 MLD per day to both the talukas.
Meanwhile, around 50 contract workers at Opa plant said that they are working without salary for past four months and this is the fifth month they are waiting to get their salary. They said that they are happy to serve people and that Opa plant capacity is increased, but at the same time their woes need to be solved.
The workers say, many of them have been working for 15 years and some for ten years. They are now hoping that the government would absorb them under PWD Labour Society, so that they would get sufficient salary to feed their family.
The workers say that they are working as operators at the plant, but are getting meagre salary of Rs 9000 to Rs 10,000 per month that too not on time.
Their main demand is that they should get reasonable salary. They had earlier met to former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar requesting him to either regularise them or employ them under labour society of PWD. The workers say that they would met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and request him to consider their demand when he goes for inauguration of 27 MLD plant on Friday.
