PANJIM: Panjim Mayor Uday Madkaikar has decided to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention claiming that injustice has been done to the local body by the State government authority towards achieving open defecation free (ODF) status.
Addressing media persons on Wednesday, Madkaikar said that the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) has denied permission to allow government appointed Sulabh International, to construct 310 toilets in the city, four months after the approval was sought.
He said that, while for all municipalities and village panchayats, Sulabh International has been given contract, the same has been denied for Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP), directing that we should issue a tender for construction of toilets.
“This is complete injustice done to us. This is also an insult to Prime Minister’s dream of making India open defecation free. I will write to the Prime Minister seeking his intervention in the matter and for necessary directions,” Madkaikar said.
“I will also write to Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and Urban Development Minister Milind Naik highlighting the issue,” he added.
The Mayor reiterated that the council members were “pressurised” into signing the certificates declaring that their wards are open defecation free. He said that it was former Commissioner Shashank Tripathi who forced them to sign the certificate.
