The Times of India 08.12.2009
Municipal garden misses date with feast
PANAJI: The much-awaited inauguration of the renovated Jardim Municipal Garcia da Orta on December 8, meant to coincide with Panaji's feast of Immaculate Conception, has been postponed to January 2010 after the approvals for the work got stuck in government red tape.
The project has also run into obstacles such as the theft of mud kept for the garden's renovation work.
"A few days ago, unknown persons stole mud kept in the garden," says Dr Joe D'Souza, member of the board of directors, Goa Forest Development Corporation (GFDC). D'Souza is also a waste management consultant at the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) and is project coordinator for the garden renovation. "A major reason for the delay in the progress of the renovation work has been getting approvals. At present, the CCP is awaiting the technical sanction from PWD and subsequent government approval," he said.
The renovation has been split into two phases: landscaping by the GFDC and civil works by the CCP. The restoration began on October 30 this year with a budget of Rs 94 lakh, five years after it was torn down for renovation by the state government as part of preparations for the first international film festival of India in 2004. However, litigations with the contractor saw the garden left in a derelict state ever since.
The CCP has planned to turn the garden into a haven for butterflies and will be planting certain types of trees which attract the beautiful winged creatures.
Fireworks began early in the CCP's political firmament when deputy mayor Yatin Parekh jumped the gun in October and announced the garden's completion in time for the Panaji feast. The statement apparently ruffled mayor Carolina Po, for whom the renovation is a pet project.
Meanwhile, slight tension was witnessed at the CCP on Monday evening when people who applied for stalls at the feast fair found that the number of stalls to be allotted was lesser in number.
The project has also run into obstacles such as the theft of mud kept for the garden's renovation work.
"A few days ago, unknown persons stole mud kept in the garden," says Dr Joe D'Souza, member of the board of directors, Goa Forest Development Corporation (GFDC). D'Souza is also a waste management consultant at the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) and is project coordinator for the garden renovation. "A major reason for the delay in the progress of the renovation work has been getting approvals. At present, the CCP is awaiting the technical sanction from PWD and subsequent government approval," he said.
The renovation has been split into two phases: landscaping by the GFDC and civil works by the CCP. The restoration began on October 30 this year with a budget of Rs 94 lakh, five years after it was torn down for renovation by the state government as part of preparations for the first international film festival of India in 2004. However, litigations with the contractor saw the garden left in a derelict state ever since.
The CCP has planned to turn the garden into a haven for butterflies and will be planting certain types of trees which attract the beautiful winged creatures.
Fireworks began early in the CCP's political firmament when deputy mayor Yatin Parekh jumped the gun in October and announced the garden's completion in time for the Panaji feast. The statement apparently ruffled mayor Carolina Po, for whom the renovation is a pet project.
Meanwhile, slight tension was witnessed at the CCP on Monday evening when people who applied for stalls at the feast fair found that the number of stalls to be allotted was lesser in number.
