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Sign the Petition requesting The Honble Minister of State for Environment
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CAG exposes Joaquim Alemao’s Heist. Will he be held accountable?
By Nisser Dias
nisserdias at gmail.com
SMS to 9422437029
The Urban Development ministry or rather the minister Joaquim Alemao
stands completely exposed for criminal waste of exchequers’ money.
Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its audit report has
nailed the minister’s hide to the wall by uncovering his lapses
purportedly committed to suit his pockets but not for public benefit.
It is not that CAG has targeted only Goa State Urban Development Agency
(GSUDA) for its folly, it has also pointed out some anomalies in other
ministries, the only difference being facilities set up by other
ministries are being utilized, but in the case of Urban Development
sweeping machines have not been put to use at all beyond the
demonstration day, where more dust was caused rather then collected.
Sonsoddo garbage dump has become a milching cow for the GSUDA.
Joaquim Alemao has even wasted money in Fisheries ministry; he has
poured crores of rupees in the pilot prawn hatchery at Benualim to see
its demise.
From 2005, since Joaquim Alemao was sworn as the Urban Development
minister, he has knowingly squandered away public money. Since that
time, print and the electronic media in the state has repeatedly
highlighted this criminal waste of money and it does not come as a
surprise for the journalistic fraternity that the country’s premiere
audit agency CAG has also endorsed their view of lopsided decision of
the minister. Sadly though, with the Lok Ayukta Bill is yet to get
accent from the governor, till then the culprits or rather the ministers
will get away scot free, because that is allowed in a Democracy.
To get into the details of the rackets during the tenure of Urban
Development minister’s Joaquim Alemao, 5 outdated tractors towed
sweeping machines were purchased at the cost crores of rupees. These
machines were allotted to all the major municipalities and corporation
in Goa. As the machines started creating more dust then collecting it,
councilors and corporators passed resolutions in their respective
Municipalities to refuse the machines and requested GSUDA to take it
back. As of now the sweeping machines are lying idle and GSUDA is not
willingly to accept it.
CAG in its annual report has rapped GSUDA for not conducting cost
benefit analysis and checking the feasibility of the machinery for Goan
condition and has said the investment has proved futile.
Next the wasteful expenditure incurred to manage and treat garbage
generated in the state. The Urban Development ministry tried a new
experiment to treat garbage generated in the commercial capital of Goa.
Chairman of GSUDA Joaquim Alemao tailor-made a tender to suit the needs
of Hyquip Company and awarded the contract of treating garbage at
Sonsoddo to this unknown company. Infact Hyquip officials made guinea
pigs out of Goans by using untested in-vessel technology to treat the
garbage.
Goans had to pay a whooping Rs. 7.84 crores for this experiment, but the
end result was the situation at Sonsoddo garbage dump worsened. Hyquip
company officials were finally shown the door, which was strongly
resisted by the minister.
But when our own noted environmentalist Dr. Claude Alvares came forward
to help the Margao Municipal Council to manage and treat its garbage,
which he had proved he could do earlier, Urban Development minister
Joaquim Alemao refused to sanction any money for purchase of equipment.
CAG has noted that GSUDA’s haste is awarding the contract to Hyquip in
2006 prevented more technically competent agencies from setting up solid
waste management plant at Sonsoddo leading to waste of resources. The
reports also mentions that chief secretary had advised scrapping of the
project based on finance and vigilance departments reports of
irregularities, yet GSUDA pursued the tender after increasing the
performance guarantee, which the company failed to furnish. Furthermore
CAG has stated that the agency did not process Hyquip’s
pre-qualification tender though Central Pollution Control Board had
exposed the consultant’s lie that in-vessel composting technology had
been introduced in India.
These are not the only instances where Urban Development minister’s
wrong decisions have been exposed, in 2008, the High Court in a judgment
on a Public Interest Litigation filed by a spirited activist Leonardo E
Lobo ordered demolition of the sheds built at Baina beach in violation
of Coastal Regulations Zone norms for viewing sunset by GSUDA at the
cost of more then Rs. one crore, the order also directed that the entire
cost be recovered from the government employees serving in the agency.
Joaquim Alemao also holds the Fisheries portfolio and his report card in
this ministry too is not very encouraging. Pilot prawn hatchery at
Benaulim was set-up in the 90’s, at that time the prawn seed nurtured
here was so much in demand because of the low mortality rate that the
seed was being exported to Japan besides selling it to farmers across
India. However due to the step motherly treatment to this project by the
government and also favoritism adopted by the ministers in posting their
‘men’ at the helm of affairs drove the last nail in its coffin.
Joaquim Alemao’s experience as a former trawler owner did not do any
good for the Fisheries ministry. He continued his spending spree, but
without any results. The report claims that from 2005-2007, the hatchery
did not produce any seeds due to power problems. Can you imagine the
fisheries minister could not sanction one transformer at the pilot prawn
hatchery for almost two years, but installed and inaugurated so many
transformers in his constituency during the corresponding period
especially on his birthdays. CAG report clearly states that since 2004
did not produce any seed resulting in wasteful expenditure of Rs 2.14
crores, this happens to be the same period Joaquim Alemao was sworn in
as Fisheries minister.
In conclusion, High Court has rapped the ministries under Joaquim
Alemao, media has high lighted the criminal waste of exchequer’s money
and now the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has exposed the in
competency of the minister. Thus, does Goa really need him? Or will he
be held accountable? (ENDS)
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First published in Gomantak Times, Goa - April 15, 2010
