Tonca dump was never used to settle political scores: Counto

  • 13/03/2008

  • Herald

Panjim based businessman and the Chairman and Managing Director of Alcon Enterprises, Anil Counto today said that his two acre land at Tonca which facilitated dumping of the City Corporation's solid waste was never used to settle political scores but is presently in a mess and cannot be used any further. Counto said, "The site is in bad condition,' pointing out that the dumping was acceptable until some time ago but had now reached alarming proportions. He said, "The waste was beginning to pile into large mounts above ground level,' explaining the reasons why he has acted promptly to seal off the site after High Court directives. Being a Panjimite, Counto said, I tried to help the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) to the maximum extent possible.' He however did not regret having offered assistance to the corporation to use the site at a cost, he said, only he would have to bear to now clear all the waste. Counto said that his assistance to CCP was in public interest and also shyly unveiled plans of using the site eventually for public utility services either in the form of a hospital or any other. In the meantime, the CCP left with no options to dump its dry waste has accumulated the same at its animal shelter and segregation centre at St Inez. The Commissioner Sanjiv Gadkar said, "We will try and dispose off what is re-cyclable,' adding on that Chief Secretary J P Singh has assured to look into the latest problem. The CCP officials had called on the chief secretary today to discuss the matter.