Panaji: Former CCP Mayor Surendra Furtado today accused former CM Manohar Parrikar of stalling development work of Panaji city to ensure that he (Furtado) should not get the credit.
Furtado, who has extended his support to Congress candidate Babush Monserratte for upcoming Panaji by-election, said that Rs 800 crore worth projects were sanctioned by Centre under JNNURM for upgradation, which were stalled by Parrikar, who was then chairman of a sub-committee appointed by then CM Digambar Kamat.
The former Mayor said that 80 per cent of the total funding would have been provided by Centre while 20 per cent will have to be shouldered by State government.
He accused Parrikar of stalling all the projects and then replacing JNNURM with Smart City proposals “to avoid him (Furtado) from getting the credit.”
“Parrikar was worried that I will become Hero. I would have grabbed headlines for a day but in reality, people of Panaji would have become Hero,” he said.
Furtado said that the money was being provided to introduce comprehensive mobility program for Panaji city. He also said that the proposal was sanctioned for Rs 65 crore worth new building for Corporation of City of Panaji.
“Parrikar called up Babush and said that I should not be allowed to continue as a Mayor because I would built the building,” he said adding that Parrikar in public, had complimented him for such a project.
