VASCO: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Goa President Jose Philip D’Souza and Minority Cell President Nazir Khan slammed Vasco BJP MLA Carlos Almeida and Urban Development Minister Milind Naik for their failure to materialise the signature project of Mormugao Municipal Council Chief Officer’s bungalow, which has been pending since past several years.
On Monday, speaking to the reporters at a press briefing, D’Souza warned the BJP legislators to come on the streets if the approved project of the chief officer’s bungalow is not taken up purposely.
Informing more about the chief officer’s bungalow project, D’Souza said that the project was pending for over 10 years despite being approved during his tenure as a revenue minister.
“I had approved the project and also sanctioned Rs 3 crore to the MMC to take up the project under the Golden Jubilee celebrations,” he said.
He further said that the foundation stone for the project was laid by former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar but despite this for the last 10 years the project is yet to see the light of day.
The NCP President also expressed dismay that the site where the project was supposed to come up had turned into a garbage dumping site and the unused vehicles of the municipality have been dumped.
Further commenting on the project delay, D’Souza stated that at present the cost of project may be 10 times more than what was approved few years back and this is a loss to the State exchequer due to deliberate delay.
“The BJP government has absolutely no right to approve new projects when they have failed to complete the signature project which was passed and whose foundation stone had been already laid down several years ago,” said D’Souza.
Khan also pointed out that former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar had put a condition that he will lay the foundation stone for the project only if the MMC has the intention to complete it. But till date, the council and local MLAs have not abided by the promise made to the former Chief Minister and the project today has not come up yet. To add to this agony, the site where the project was proposed has turned into garbage dumping site and dumping ground for unused MMC vehicles.
Taking pot shots at Almeida, Khan said the MLA has not taken up any projects in the last eight years and he has been pushing for the Blue Flag Certification for Baina Beach for development of Vasco when he cannot complete the project that should have been completed by now.
“There is BJP government at the Centre and State and the council panel is also of the government yet the development of Port Town is a far cry,” he added.
