Margao: An entire year has passed and the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) has still not managed to provide to its taxpaying residents a functioning door-to-door garbage collection system aimed at segregating garbage at source and making Margao a bin less city. The Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) has turned down the MMC’s proposal requesting the state government to fund its garbage collection drive and requisite infrastructure at a cost of Rs 2.11 core annually. What this means is that the issue regarding funds crunch which has prevented the garbage collection drive from achieving its goal will continue to hamper the civic body into the year 2016.
It maybe recalled that on August 2014; the civic body had launched a door-to-door garbage collection drive with the backing of the state government through the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) and DMA. However, due to problems with the plan of engaging self help groups, the High Powered Coordination Committee chaired by the chief minister and having the Margao, Fatorda and Curtorim MLA as members took a decision in August 2015 to outsource the garbage collection to a contractor. While the MMC sent its financial outlay for the project, the DMA has not agreed with the MMC decision to shift the entire onus of raising funds with the DMA and pointed that a wrong precedent would be set if the DMA funds one municipality.
The residents of Margao looking at the larger picture feel that they have been deprived of their basic right. Citizen for Sonsodo member Rashid Souza pointed out that the new council has inherited a bad legacy but felt it was time for new ideas and localised solutions.
