PANAJI: Immediately after chief minister Pramod Sawant issued directions on Monday to cancel the scheduled public consultation on Smart City Mission, Panaji MLA Atanasio Monserrate said he had written to Sawant seeking a fresh date to hold a detailed discussion on the mission, which is being implemented since 2016.
Monserrate alleged that the chief minister, in collusion with Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL), was deliberately trying to keep him and the local residents in the dark as part of BJP’s dirty political strategy.
“I received a letter from IPSCDL about the directions given by the chief minister about conducting a discussion on smart city projects. I immediately wrote to the chief minister and requested for a convenient date to hold this discussion,” the Panaji MLA told TOI on Wednesday.
Citing Smart City mission guidelines, Monserrate said that Sawant could not be the chairman of IPSCDL and thus could not chair any meetings. Section 3 of the Smart City Mission guidelines, Clause 1, says that the post of the chairperson can be held by the divisional commissioner, collector, municipal commissioner or chief executive of the Urban Development Authority.
“It looks like the chief minister has not read the central guidelines. He cannot be the chairman of IPSCDL. I will raise this issue in the assembly,” Monserrate said.
In his letter, the MLA has said that the detailed discussion on smart city projects was required “in view of the concern shown by the people of Panaji.”
A public meeting convened at the Corporation of the city of Panaji on Monday was called off, for the second time in just over two months, after IPSCDL managing director and chief executive officer Swayandipta Pal Chaudhuri asked Monserrate to convene a fresh meeting in consultation with the chief minister.
Sawant said that all review meetings related to the Smart City mission have to be held under his chairmanship.
“They are keeping everyone in the dark. There is no information about projects, no transparency of how much money is being spent or even what projects are being taken up,” Monserrate said.
Monserrate alleged that the chief minister, in collusion with Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL), was deliberately trying to keep him and the local residents in the dark as part of BJP’s dirty political strategy.
“I received a letter from IPSCDL about the directions given by the chief minister about conducting a discussion on smart city projects. I immediately wrote to the chief minister and requested for a convenient date to hold this discussion,” the Panaji MLA told TOI on Wednesday.
Citing Smart City mission guidelines, Monserrate said that Sawant could not be the chairman of IPSCDL and thus could not chair any meetings. Section 3 of the Smart City Mission guidelines, Clause 1, says that the post of the chairperson can be held by the divisional commissioner, collector, municipal commissioner or chief executive of the Urban Development Authority.
“It looks like the chief minister has not read the central guidelines. He cannot be the chairman of IPSCDL. I will raise this issue in the assembly,” Monserrate said.
In his letter, the MLA has said that the detailed discussion on smart city projects was required “in view of the concern shown by the people of Panaji.”
A public meeting convened at the Corporation of the city of Panaji on Monday was called off, for the second time in just over two months, after IPSCDL managing director and chief executive officer Swayandipta Pal Chaudhuri asked Monserrate to convene a fresh meeting in consultation with the chief minister.
Sawant said that all review meetings related to the Smart City mission have to be held under his chairmanship.
“They are keeping everyone in the dark. There is no information about projects, no transparency of how much money is being spent or even what projects are being taken up,” Monserrate said.
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