Minister asks department to stop supply to hotels if needed
Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira at his Friday darbar at the district Collectorate, South Goa.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira on Friday directed the officials of PWD, water supply, to immediately streamline water scarcity in the villages of Nuvem, Majorda and Utorda, even if that requires stopping water supply to the hotels.
Sequeira, who also holds the Law portfolio, pulled up the contractor executing work on the Margao Civil and Criminal Court building before setting March 31, 2025, as the target to complete the project.
He also set December 31 this year as the deadline for the PWD, buildings, to complete all work on the toilets and washrooms in the South Goa district Collectorate.
At his Friday darbar, Sequeira said that people in many areas of Nuvem, Majorda and Utorda are receiving water in trickles due to some problem.
“I have told the PWD officials that they may even cut off water supply to the hotels, but accord priority to streamlining water supply to the public,” he said.
The Minister said his constituents from Nuvem, Majorda and Utorda have been facing water issues since the time of a power shutdown taken by the Power Department.
“But this is no excuse for the water supply officials not to resolve the issue,” he said.
The Law Minister told the contractor point-blank that he has failed to adhere to the bar chart and demanded an explanation for the delay in executing the project. While saying the work on the project is running behind schedule, Sequeira told the contractor to complete the work by March 31 by deploying additional manpower.
“I do not want any more excuses for the delay. Or I will be forced to terminate the contract,” he told the contractor.
As far as the toilets in the district Collectorate are concerned, the Minister told the engineers to get the works completed by December 31. “We have already completed the work on 18 toilet blocks in the Collectorate. The remaining eight toilets will be ready in all respects by December 31 this year,” he added.
Sequeira urged the people of Goa to get their houses regularised if the structures are standing on their own property.
“The government has come out with directives to the authorities to either reject or clear all pending applications by March 31, 2025. People should avail themselves of the government’s initiative,” he added.
