Goemkarponn desk
PONDA: Former PWD Minister Sudin Dhavlikar Sudin Dhavlikar has said that no one should “steal” credit for the hard work of his and former CM Manohar Parrikar for making Goa a number one state in the domestic water supply.
He said that free water was also proposed under the judicious use of the water scheme under the JICA Project.
“Goa is the only Number one state in providing 90 per cent domestic treated water supply. This is because of former CM Manohar Parrikar and myself, who introduced JICA Project in 2012,” said Dhavlikar.
Dhavalikar spoke to the media after inaugurating a new water supply pipeline at Kundaim installed to improve water supply in various wards of Marcaim and Bandora Villages.
“We may not provide 24×7 water supply, but all this improvement brought in water supply credit goes to only to former CM Manohar Parrikar and myself as former PWD Minister Dhavlikar who had dreamed of providing 24×7 water supply to Goans. The project is incomplete as the government failed to provide the finance required on time,” he stated.
Today, the government announcing 16 cubic meters of free water from 1 Sept. results from the scheme under Judicious use of water under Japan International Cooperation Agency ( JICA) introduced in 2002 and implemented in 2012.
He recalled that since 2002 the former CM Manohar Parrikar and himself as PWD Minister have made a lot of effort to improve the domestic water supply in Goa.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, during his tour to Savordem in Dharbandora Taluka, had criticized the former PWD Minister Sudin Dhavlikar for taking credit for the free water scheme and had questioned as to why he failed to provide free water to Goans when he was PWD Minister for past 20 years.
CM had said the credit of free water to his government and PWD Minister Pauskar.
Responding to CM Dhavlikar said, CM Pramod Sawant has no idea and information of past development.
He said in 2002, the former CM Parrikar and he, as PWD Minister, decided to implement various schemes under JICA Project.
“Under this, various schemes were introduced, including Rs 1100 crore for water supply projects and Rs 1000 crore for sewerage projects.
Under this first water, the pipeline was brought from Bicholim to North at Mapusa and OPA to Panaji. This has led to systematic supply,” he said.
He said they even replaced the old line from Salaulim Margao Verna and carried a 1200 mm dia MS pipeline in its place, which is the most significant pipeline for the first time in the history of Goa under former CM and him. “When this pipeline came, 88 per cent of South of water supply problem was solved,” he stated.