See also http://www.navhindtimes.com/stories.php?part=news&Story_ID=100430
Monorail project a big scam: Parrikar NT Staff Reporter Panaji Oct 3: The leader of the opposition, Mr Manohar Parrikar today termed the monorail project of the government as a big scam and alleged that the state government was being pressurised by the central leadership, including an Union minister not only to accept the project but also to run it at great speed. Addressing a press conference, today Mr Parrikar said that the Expression of Interest for the project was published in the national newspapers, however not even a line regarding the same appeared in the local dailies. "The Chief Minister, Mr Pratapsingh Rane should explain to the people of Goa as to why he is being so secretive about the monorail project," the leader of the opposition demanded. Mr Parrikar also observed that the monorail project and the modification of the Town Planning Act are two sides of the same coin. Those areas over which the monorail will run would be C1 zones, or for that matter, the C1 zones will be having the monorail running over it, he pointed out. The leader of the opposition further questioned the documentation as regards the monorail. "It is double standard of the Rane government that total secrecy is maintained about the Rs 3,000 crore monorail project, which is neither time-bound nor supervised by any core committee, while the Congress government had left no stone unturned to raise hue and cry about the IFFI projects which had much lesser budget, were time-bound and supervised by a core committee which also had the Congress MLAs as its members," he noted. Mr Parrikar also questioned the economic feasibility of monorail project, adding that no details of this project have been made available either to the press or the opposition party. He also maintained that the details of the project, including tentative route of the monorail should have been made available for public to invite suggestions and objections from them. The government should give a guarantee to the Goans that this project would not be a losing proposition for the state, he stated. Mr Parrikar further demanded that if the Chief Minister has a control over the project, he should explain the same to the Goans, and if not, he must quit the government. He also suggested that members from the opposition party should be appointed over a core committee to supervise the project, in order to maintain the transparency, which was one of the major issues of the Congress party during the by-elections for five assembly constituencies, earlier this year. The leader of the opposition remarked that if there is any delay in informing the public about the monorail project, the same could result in rampant sale of Goan lands, under the pretext of finalising the monorail route. -- PS: If you wish to have a *Gmail* e-mail address, do write to me. Will send you an invitation to open a *Gmail* e-mail account. :-)