QUALITY OF PROJECTS CAN BE ENSURED BY COMMON CITIZENS SAYS SHANTARAM NAIK

PANJIM: The quality of public projects can be ensured even by common citizens by remaining alert and watchful and by using Right to Information Act, said Mr Shantaram Naik MP at Dharbandora on Saturday.   Mr Naik who was speaking after inaugurating a project of community hall for Vishweshwar Shankar Laad Higher Secondary School at Dharbandora, further said that whether it is a building or a road, if quality is not maintained the projects are bound to ‘disappear’ within a few years. Mr Naik said if delay in implementation of projects in Goa is avoided, we can save approximately upto Rs 1,000 crore per five years.

 The work of community hall initially started with the help of MPLADS funds to tune of Rs 11,18,571 given by the then MP of South Goa, Mr Ramakant Angle. However since the project could not be completed during the term of Mr Angle, Mr Naik added Rs 20,00,598 from his MPLADS funds and completed the project.

Mr Naik said that the government is going to shortly enact a legislation to give protection to whistleblowers which is going to give scope to persons who are going to come out to expose misdeeds, illegalities or corruption in their respective departments or institutions.

“In this country, no government has shown interest to make public life clean and transparent except the Congress government,” said Mr Naik.

He said that responsible NGOs are an asset to the country and that activities of such NGOs should be encouraged by the government, however, he cautioned the citizens of associations which exist only to propagate a negative agenda and get funds from foreign countries.

Mr Naik declared that the community hall has been named after former MLA of the area Late Sadashiv Marathe as ‘Sadashiv Marathe Samajmandir’.

Mr Ramakant Angle, ex-MP said that he was very happy that the project of community hall which he could not complete during his term was completed by Mr Naik by taking special interest. Mr Angle said that he was personally obliged to Mr Naik as the school, Shri Vishweshwar Shankar Laad has been named after his late father in law.

At the outset, the president of Bhausahed Bandodkar Shikshan Saunstha, Mr Pandurang Nadkarni welcomed the guests. Mr Atmaram Kudchadkar, principal of the school proposed a vote of thanks and Mr Jeetendra Naik and Mr Sandeep Patil compered the proceedings of the function.