388Panaji: In a volte face, the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) on Wednesday tamely resolved to hand over 1.71 lakh sq m at Bainguinim to the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC). Instead of the tripartite agreement that CCP was insisting on, the civic body is now satisfied with an assurance that the land being transferred would be used only for a garbage treatment plant.Over the past week, 17 CCP councillors, who swear allegiance to Goa Forward Party (GFP) leader Atanasio 'Babush' Monserrate, vehemently refused to hand over the acquired land. Monserrate, along with the councillors had approached GFP president and town and country planning minister Vijai Sardesai and had even sought legal opinion to verify if the land could be leased to GWMC."When minister Vijai Sardesai talked to the chief minister, the chief minister explained that the land needs to be in the name of GWMC if financial help needs to be obtained," Furtado told reporters on Wednesday. "So Parrikar said that unless we transfer the land, nothing can be done. And we don't have the money to do it (build the waste management plant) on our own."The concern about approaching financial institutions for funds appears to be a ruse, as the proposed solid waste treatment facility at Bainguinim is likely to be built with funds from the Union ministry of urban development along with a contribution from the state under the Swachh Bharat Mission.On Tuesday, mayor Surendra Furtado had reiterated that he would not hand over the land till a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Goa government, CCP and GWMC, with CCP retaining ownership of the land.The ruling panel councillors changed their stance after chief minister Manohar Parrikar spoke to Goa Forward Party (GFP) leader Vijai Sardesai and Furtado.When asked why CCP had earlier refused to transfer the land to the government, Furtado said that the council was "apprehensive, scared that if we parted with the land, what will happen. After all it is our land"."We will be giving the land with a rider that it will be utilized only for garbage treatment plant, whereby the waste of the corporation of Panaji, Taleigao village panchayat and the village panchayat of Old Goa will be processed. Later on, they can include St Cruz, Merces," Furtado added.

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