NT NETWORK
MARGAO
The district collector south Anjali Sehrawat on Wednesday said she cancelled the Rs 3.64 crore project of installation of close circuit television (CCTV) surveillance cameras in and around Fatorda constituency as the due process was not followed. The former Congress MP (Rajya Sabha), Shantaram Naik sanctioned the project through MPLAD scheme.
Incidentally, this is the second MPLAD project, the district collector Sehrawat had cancelled in South Goa and Salcete in particular. Both these projects were approved and sanctioned by the former Congress MP Shantaram Naik.
The district collector cancelled the first project of a community health centre proposed and sanctioned for the village panchayat of Rachol, which was adopted by the MP under the Sansad Adharsh Gram Yojana. The reasons were that the local village panchayat wrote to the district collector’s office that the panchayat will not be able to maintain the Rs 91 lakh project even though the earlier panchayat body had agreed to bear the maintenance cost.
“The project of installation of CCTVs in Fatorda was cancelled because the due process was not followed. When I took over as the district collector and while reviewing the MPLAD project files, I came across the work which was to start in June 2017 and completed in August 2017 has not started till date. The contractor was not selected through an open tender process. Since, the works has not started, despite the delay and not a single rupee was spent from central government funds, I thought it wise to cancel the project ,’’ the district collector said while speaking to this daily on Wednesday.
She further added that the Malbhat – Margao based contractor (computer agency) was asked to explain the reasons for the delay and he failed to provide satisfactory replies.
Sources informed this daily that the Fatorda MLA and TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai was disturbed with the cancellation of the order. He is learnt to have already started the process of re-tendering the surveillance cameras assuring maintenance of the hundred plus CCTVs.