Margao: The Shadow Council for Margao today questioned the intention of the Council to shift 40 tonnes of wet waste to Saligao Plant.
SCM Convener Mr. Savio Coutinho sought to know from the Council, whether the economics of this proposal has been given a thought. Mr. Coutinho stated that the *waste collected by the Council doesn’t confirm to the specifications of “wet waste”, and this fact we have been consistently raising*. The agency’s appointed by the Council being the *hot favourites of the local MLA,* all the shortcomings in the system, including the fraudulent payment aspect is conveniently ignored, while the *siphoning of public funds continues unabated,* Mr. Coutinho charged.
As the collected waste is in a mixed form, the Saligao Plant Contractor, who also happens to be the Bio Remediation Contractor at Sonsodo, will bill the Council @ 1840/- per cubic meter of waste. And considering that 1 tonne is equivalent to 1.80 cu.m, the *charges for 40 tonnes would work out to 40×1.80=72 cu.m x1840/- =1,32,840/- per day*. And further considering the transportation costs, *the daily expenses would be a whooping 2 lakhs per day.*
Mr. Coutinho came down heavily on the Council and the state government, and charged that there is a nexus between the authorities and the Hindustan Waste Treatment company, and hence all the authorities are systematically pushing all the waste management works to the same company. *The company in turn is laughing his way to the bank, and obviously “tapping the backs” of all the people who display generosity to his cause.*
Mr. Coutinho made a further charge that the rates finalized for the Bio Remediation Contractor is enormously huge. We have recently found out that the *Prime Minister connected Ahmedabad Municipal corporation is spending a maximum amount of Rs.300/- per tonne, and the second engine government of Goa is spending 1840/- x 1.80 =3312/- per tonne. And this is more than 10 times costlier,* Mr. Coutinho charged.
After Mining and Casino operations, waste management has become ever lucrative for the powers that be in this state, Mr. Coutinho said. *”With every level being involved in this Mega Scam, it is beyond our scope of thinking, as to which forum this matter should be addressed to”*, Mr. Coutinho concludes.
