I have attended the Panaji Smart City function at Fidalgo Hotel on 3rd November 2015 although hardly any well advance notice was issued in the Press. I came to know on 3rd Nov at 6.30AM when I read Navhind Times advertisement on line, and within one hour I have made these suggestion which is enclosed.below.
Dignitaries present on the dais; i) Chief Secretary R.K. Srivastava , Special address 2) Shubam Chodankar CCP Mayor ( did not speak) 3) Sidarth Kunkolienkar MLA of Panjim Key note address 4) Gazal Bhmabri ICLEI representative 5) Richard Dias Moderator and ICLEI rep and vote of thanks 6) Sanjit Rodrigues CCP Commissioner and Shekar Sardesai both absent First, Chief Secretary Srivastava spoke and later MLA of Panjim Sidarth spoke and both left the venue soon after.their lecture. No question answer were allowed. After that presentation by consultants from ICLEI ( International Council Environmental Initiative, South Asia), has caried out.. I have presented my 25 points suggestions and recommendation to the jury sitting over there. I have distributed also the copies to Mayor of CCP and the press people present.. ( enclosed the write up) . I have asked ICLEI to minute the meeting, of my write up and what was discussed and talked by me and Panjimites. .Later I have distributed the copies and circulated to all those dignitaries of ECLEI.. I have noticed that Sanjit Rodrigues did not attend the meet. Sidarth Kunkolienkar MLA of Panjim after giving his speech left the venue and never came back. This is always the case that BJP leaders do that. Earlier MLA Vishnu Wagh gave his speech on Matanhy Saldanha Memorial function, at Institute Menezes Braganza Hall and immediately left the venue, without even telling the audience. I was also present for that function.. How can you trust these leaders, because the people in the audience wants to interact with the speakers after their talk. After the lectures and presentation we had a powerful discussion by Panjimites, and many criticism made by Panjimites, activists and scientists present at the audience, on the SMART CITY. We requested the committee of ICLEI to minute the whole discussions and hope that the PRESS and Print media do the coverage.. Overall conclusion of discussion is that whether Goa Government would be able to spend at least Rs 100 crores per year when they have failed in JUNRUM and other projects. Second is that Panjim is not a viable city for a Smart City due to various factors especially on Casinos menace, St Ines and Ourem creek, garbage, bad roads, sewage and underground cabling in mess, No parking in existing High rise buildings, gutters and storm water drains not in place, Sea level Rise.etc. Many solutions were offered by the Panjimites but it does not appear good for ECLEI to organize this project, in view of CCP apathy and disorganized CCP. Even CCP Commissioner Sanjit Rodrigues was not present. In fact only 3 Councillors from BJP were present as they were give 2 days advance invitation whereas other councilors were absent including all the previous Mayors, especially the last Mayor Surendra Furtado, who told me over the phone at the venue, that he has not received any invitation, reasons are not known to me. Considering all these problems how BJP Government expect that Panaji to become a SMART CITY? Stephen Dias Panjimite date: 3.11.2015 ================================================= ENCLOSURE: SMART CITY MEET AT FIDALGO TODAY 3.11.2015 Inbox x Stephen Dias <steve.dia...@gmail.com> 07:51 (19 minutes ago) to commissioner, Goanet, Goa's, Smart, Laxmikant, francis, pce-pwd.goa, mridula, chief, dgpgoa, dharmesh, bcc: shashwat, bcc: shashwat_ray, bcc: editor, bcc: Editor, bcc: editor, bcc: Menino, bcc: editor, bcc: Sujay, bcc: raul, bcc: Alina, bcc: Aires, bcc: Judith, bcc: derek.almeida, bcc: navhindaaa To, In-Charge of Smart City of Panjim Commissioner of City of Panaji Dear Sanjit Rodrigues It is nice that at least now you have decided to put the advertisement inviting stake holders to meet at Fidalgo Hotel at 9 AM today on 3,11,2015 which you have not done it before. Although you have not given well advance notice so that many may not know that there is such kind of meeting. Anyway some who have seen the papers might come and give their consent and suggestions for converting Panjim as SMART> By the way following are my questions so that you can be ready to answer my few queries which I have just sending across you by e-mail Questions: 1) First you have to keep an expert person to write down minutes of the meeting which CCP most the times had failed.. 2) Many questions were raised in earlier private meetings as well as in your CCP meetings by your Councillors and their questions are needed to answer. 3) The most important person/s like for example Dr.Nandkumar Kamat, Dr. Oscar rebello, Dr. Joe D'Sousa, Patricia Pinto, Armando Gonsalves, Surendra Furtado and many important Panjimites must be invited with proper invitation. 4) My question is need to answer during the meet at Fidalgo today: a) Plans to be made available of Panjim city showing detailed gutter mapping, presently done and earlier during Portugues time plans.. b) How many Petrol pumps are in the city which needs to be shunted out. c) How many old discarded constructions needed to be demolished and their locations. d) How many legal and illegal shops available in the city for motor vehicles repairs and Tyre work repairs. e) What have you done to get revival/cleaning of St Ines Creek and Ourem Creek. f) Why the Dona Paula to Miramar road work is taking time and already now completes one year and when will be completed. g) Almost all the Panjim roads are not asphalted nor repaired by PWD, what action CCP has initiated. h) Panjim to get into SMART CITY do you know that sea level rise is affecting the City of Panjim and how you are going tackle it.. i) High rise buildings which does not have parking provision approval and existing ones also, what action will be taken on them. j) Many old discarded vehicles are seen on the roads, whether CCP has initiated any move to remove them. k) Garbage for ever not under control, when this will be done or whether will it be materialized. l) Casinos menace must be shunted out from Mandovi to Offshore . Now Lexicon floutel vessel of 1500 capacity can ruin the city for gambling , dancing parties wedding , striptease dances, as I underrated that government and a particular Press is involved and supporting this move, including captain of ports ..When Casinos will be shunted out to offshore? m) No toilets Sullabi are working in the city in proper way. Whether CCP had taken note of it. o) Heavy trucks and tractors, including JCB's are often moving in the city either transporting market goods, sand, stones and mud . Does CCP understand that these vehicle can damage roads and that traffic must be well regulated and if necessary to send them out away from city limits. p) Health Dept needs to be informed about people urinating defecating in open areas and also spitting on the walls including of the government offices and in whole market area, whether any fine was imposed? q) Haphazard parking on all the roads in the city. Any action taken for better parking. r) Electricity poles with live High Tension lines running across the city are still existing whether underground cabling work will be executed and when? s) Water pipelines running zigzac and across the electrical old wiring whether this will be removed and a plan drawing plan will be made available during the discussions of meet at Fidalgo. t) Substandard materials like pipes, cables, stones, bricks, sand etc are been in use, whether CCP are checking for quality with the GEC Engineering College Framaguidi, which I believe they have faculties to check. u) Proper leveling of roads are not done by competent government Surveyors department or else this will create problems once the roads are completed. v) Al the buildings from the city must be checked for sanitary system and hotels for sewage discharge. w) When the work of sewage plan will be completed and whether a written guarantee is obtained from the contractor/s in event of failure of the project. x) Road quality at the time of asphalting will PWD supervise personally or contractor will be given whole powers to execute it, because roads are always bad in the city and every year these are to be done. y) When Panjim market will put in order. z) Panjim city and major junctions needs to plan for proper lighting and with traffic ligths. Note: If the above suggestions and recommendation are not taken care by CCP then PANJIM WILL NEVER BE A SMART CITY. Stephen Dias Former Scientist of NIO. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On 3 November 2015 at 07:51, Smart City Panaji <smartcitypan...@gmail.com> wrote: > Greetings from *SMART CITY PANAJI CELL. *We thank you for your valuable > suggestions. > > Please complete a small survey for *Round 2 *of Citizen Participation. > Click on following link. > > *http://goo.gl/forms/NwQmZTXtXU <http://goo.gl/forms/NwQmZTXtXU>* > > Thanks and regards > > *Smart city Cell,* > > Nalanda Hall, EDC House, > > Panaji -Goa >