PORVORIM: The State government will pay out nearly Rs 400 crore over
next ten years to the contractor in the form of capital and operational grants
towards the solid waste treatment facility at Saligao, Chief Minister Laxmikant
Parsekar told the State Legislative Assembly on Tuesday announcing that a
similar facility would be developed in Curchorem for South Goa.
The Opposition benches led by former chief minister and Congress MLA
Digambar Kamat during the Question Hour attacked the government for the Rs 400
crore payments to be made to the contractor – SMC Infrastructure Pvt Ltd – who
has spent only Rs 149 crore as a construction cost of the project.
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The opponents also alleged that the government in violation of the
Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, allowed beach cleaning and national highway
cleaning contractors to dump waste for treatment at the plant, which was built
to facilitate garbage from North Goa coastal belt.
“This plant is a new experiment done by the State and first of its kind
in the country. The amount of funds that we are going to pay to the contractor
– which comes to around Rs 400 crore in ten years – is not a big amount,” the
Chief Minister said, adding, ‘the contractor would have to bear the entire loss
if the plant fails, considering that the State has not invested any amount in
the project, except for land acquisition and construction of compound wall’.
“Once, the plan becomes successful, a similar project would be set up
at Curchorem,” Parsekar told the House.
Earlier, responding to a question raised by Kamat on the amount the
State will pay the contractor over the next ten years, Minister for Science and
Technology Alina Saldanha said that the project constructed on DBFOT (Design,
Built, Finance, Operate and Transfer) basis is 100 percent funded by the
contractor.
She informed the House that the government has spent only Rs 7.14 crore
towards land acquisition, approach road and compound wall. “For next ten years,
we will pay an annual capital grant of Rs 29.9 core, once the trials are over
and the plant becomes fully operational and one time operational support grant
of Rs 70 crore to the contractor,” the minister said. “At the end of ten years,
the plant would be handed over to the government,” she added.
When asked, Saldanha admitted that there is shortage of waste for
treatment at the plant, which has a capacity of 100 tonnes per month. “Total 25
north Goa coastal panchayats are directed to send their waste. However, only 13
have sent till date,” she said.
“Considering the plant capacity, the High Level Task Force committee
headed by Chief Minister decided to direct the beach cleaning and national
highway cleaning contractors to dump their waste for treatment at the plant,”
the minister said, adding that the plant is designed to treat both segregated
and non-segregated waste.
As per the information provided on the Floor of the House, a total of
32 tonnes of garbage was sent at the plant in May. It went up to 46 tonnes in
June and 59 tonnes in July. In August, it is estimated to touch 78 tonnes.
