The Times of India 12.04.2013
Corporation of the City of Panaji to maintain Panaji gardens on its own
PANAJI: The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has decided to maintain all the gardens in Panaji falling under the corporation, on its own. The CCP recently decided not to renew its agreement with the Goa Forest Development Corporation (GFDC) to maintain the Panaji municipal garden also known as the Garcia de Orta. Panaji mayor SurendraFurtado told TOI the forest corporation had presented an estimate of 10 lakh to maintain the garden.
"The CCP
has 20 gardens. Can we spend so much on maintenance?" he questioned.
Furtado felt the government should have asked the forest corporation to
maintain the gardens without any charge.
The forest corporation stopped maintaining the municipal garden from February 15, though the agreement ended last October. S Aggarwal, MD, GFDC, said the forest corporation had stopped maintenance since the agreement with the CCP was not renewed.
Joe D'souza, former CCP consultant, was of the opinion that the garden should be maintained by the GFDC. D'souza said when he was part of the GDFC he "had planted nearly 120 species of plants which were planted to form a mini-botanical park exhibiting the plant ecology of Goa including flowering as well as fruit-bearing plants like mango and cashew among others."
He criticized the holding of carnival festivities in the garden stating that it had damaged the garden with some sprinklers, hedges and lawns being affected. He questioned why the state biodiversity board had not intervened in the matter as "according to the Biodiversity Act, any commercial activity taking place on government land having a bio-reserve or harbouring biodiversity should essentially take the permission of the biodiversity board".
CCP commissioner Sanjit Rodrigues said that the CCP was now maintaining the Panaji gardens within its jurisdiction and around 40 CCP staff had been assigned to the job.
The forest corporation stopped maintaining the municipal garden from February 15, though the agreement ended last October. S Aggarwal, MD, GFDC, said the forest corporation had stopped maintenance since the agreement with the CCP was not renewed.
Joe D'souza, former CCP consultant, was of the opinion that the garden should be maintained by the GFDC. D'souza said when he was part of the GDFC he "had planted nearly 120 species of plants which were planted to form a mini-botanical park exhibiting the plant ecology of Goa including flowering as well as fruit-bearing plants like mango and cashew among others."
He criticized the holding of carnival festivities in the garden stating that it had damaged the garden with some sprinklers, hedges and lawns being affected. He questioned why the state biodiversity board had not intervened in the matter as "according to the Biodiversity Act, any commercial activity taking place on government land having a bio-reserve or harbouring biodiversity should essentially take the permission of the biodiversity board".
CCP commissioner Sanjit Rodrigues said that the CCP was now maintaining the Panaji gardens within its jurisdiction and around 40 CCP staff had been assigned to the job.
