Garbage treatment a major scam area, alleges Parrikar

Panaji: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said garbage and sewerage treatment is a “major scam” area as even those built as part of the central schemes are left unaudited.

“The garbage and sewerage treatment is a major scam area. Ninety per cent of the toilets built under Central government schemes goes into disuse after three to four years,” Parrikar said while addressing a gathering here after inaugurating Solid Waste Management Facility at Saligao-Calangute plateau.

“Some people use these toilets to pile woodstock. Some people don’t even use it for the purpose it is built. But no one can audit it. How can one audit whether toilet is functional or not without using it?” he asked.

The Minister said garbage treatment has become a big business across the country.

“There are vested interests in this sector…Comptroller and Auditor General audits everything but I have not seen the audit of the garbage treatment. Who will dare go in the dump of garbage?” he said.

The Minister also made some critical view at the judiciary claiming that some of the directions given by it are “senseless”.

“I was reading report about Mercedes Benz company. They have stopped the investment in India because they say the decisions of the court are beyond the limit of understanding,” Parrikar said.

“(They say) we don’t understand the logic of banning diesel vehicle. We understand that you can ban diesel vehicle which is polluting but what is the point in banning a diesel vehicle which may not pollute or less polluting than the petrol vehicle,” Parrikar said.

PTI