the goan I network
PANAJI
With the Model Code of Conduct lifted on Sunday, the capital city’s civic authorities will be racing against time from Monday to complete the quintessential pre-monsoon work, including ensuring there are no blockages in some of the major under-surface drains.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, his top priority on Monday would be to get the administration moving to prepare not just the capital but the whole State for the fast approaching monsoon.
Sawant said he will hold meetings with top officials of all departments involved in pre-monsoon work and an action plan will be drawn to ensure that Goa is not lacking in terms of preparation to face any eventuality in the monsoon.
The chief minister also said he will spend time on Monday to normalise the administration by undoing the transfer of several officials who were issued orders ahead of the elections to adhere to Election Commission guidelines.
Meanwhile in the capital, the power struggle between the mayor Uday Madkaikar and the Commissioner Shashank Tripathi of the Corporation of the City of Panaji has hampered the routine
pre-monsoon works usually carried out by the civic body.
Panjim’s MLA-elect Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate said the city needed to be cleared of the filth on an urgent basis otherwise flooding of streets and pavements will occur during the monsoon.
The capital city is prone to flooding during monsoon downpours, particularly during the high tide hours. All its drains lead into the Mandovi river and the flow reverses when the tide is high leading to the flooding of most of the city’s streets and pavements.
On Friday, a day after he was declared winner at the Panjim bypoll, Monserrate met CCP commissioner and discussed the urgency of completing all pre-monsoon work in the jurisdiction of the Corporation.
Monserrate and the ruling panel in the CCP led by mayor Uday Madkaikar, who owe allegiance to him, have in the past been at loggerheads with Tripathi over several issues, including his apparent priority for works pertaining to Smart City projects over priorities identified in wards by individual councilors.
