PANJIM: The Vice President of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the default candidate of AAP from Panjim, Valmiki Naik has taken on the government for its mishandling of the multi-crore Smart City project in Panjim, and what he calls a cesspool of corruption
In a one-on-one interview as a part of the weekly interview-based show ‘Goa Wants to Know’ on Herald TV on cable and digital media, Naik said, “What have we got from the smart city? From its very inception, it has been a cesspool of corruption. The Smart City project was supposed to have a committee that was very broad-based. It had to involve people right from the MP to the average citizen. Today we see that there has not been one consultative process.”
Calling for s proper investigation into the project, he said, “AAP will have a proper audit of where the money went,” Valmiki added. “We had exposed these issues multiple times. The previous MD was creating nonsense projects at inflated prices,” he alleged.
He cited the example of a paved road with some footpath showcased as the ‘perfect pedestrian footpath’ somewhere near Campal, which nobody uses. This was constructed at a cost of Rs 8 crore. “This is completely ridiculous. These are all inflated projects for the sole purpose of corruption,” he alleged.
Valmiki also narrated how presently Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has a hold on Smart City because the current MLA Atanasio Monserrate is controlling the Corporation of the City of Panaji, as well as the Panjim constituency. But previously, when he had no control over it, it was used as an excuse not to have anything done. “The money has been spent…..but where, nobody knows,” Valmiki underlined.
Speaking on the larger problems that plague Panjim for decades such as St Inez Creek, the mobility and parking problems, the garbage, sewage, and pollution, Valmiki said he would deal with the problems by adopting the “Ease of Living Index” floated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs which rates cities based on 50 criteria. Today Panjim is ranked at the 90th position on this Index out of 114 cities, he pointed out.
Describing St Inez creek as a pain in the back for a long time, he elaborated how it could be turned into an asset within 2 years by creating economic activity around it. The possibilities are endless and can have people coming from all over India to see it. We need a person who loves Panjim, who won’t focus on corruption and will use the funds for doing things to add value.
“The sad thing about Panjim is that there have been so many consultants who were brought on board, so many plans made with good and bad things, but none of these have been implemented.”, he said
“There was a conversation about Hop on Hop off bus systems. But the focus has been on corruption. There is money to do things. There are professional reports made, that tell you the solutions, but nobody has put the two together and implemented them,” Valmiki pointed out.
“We have the funds, we have the solutions, but nobody is interested in working for the people and solving these problems. We are too busy in politics, or too busy in corruption,” Valmiki concluded.
While NGO’s accounts are frozen, Panjim Smart city doesn’t file financials for 4 yrs
Prominent RTI crusader Saket Gokhale, also National Spokesman of TMC, tweeted, “It’s incredible how Ministry of Corporate Affairs & Registrar of Companies (RoC) have blatantly ignored this default. I’ve written to RoC Goa regarding this. While accounts of NGOs are frozen, a govt-owned “Smart City” company gets away not filing financials for 4 years. Modi govt’s “Smart Cities” project is just another way of embezzling govt funds & awarding lucrative contracts to their cronies. In Goa, CM @DrPramodPSawant has openly allowed Imagine Panaji Smart City to quietly take in government money and leave no records of it.”
