Karsten Miranda
“He is gone. It’s decided. He IS gone”. An excited Margao Municipal Chairperson Arthur D’Silva whipped out his phone like a young teenager and showed a video clip to Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik, within earshot and visibility of this reporter. The video clip was that of the young IAS Chief officer of the MMC, Naveen LS taking off on him in his own chamber, accusing him (D’Silva) of handing out money and threatening to install a CCTV camera to monitor his activities. It was clear that it was a matter of time till this officer who was on mission clean up of the system in Margao was moved out.
Last week at a special council meeting attended by Rajya Sabha MP, Shantaram Naik, where the CO was conspicuous by his absence, D’Silva showed his senior colleague the video clip of the fracas involving him and the chairperson and the brash but efficient IAS officer.
Ultimately, it all boiled down to Naveen’s ugly confrontation with D’silva in the same chamber on May 19 that turned out to be the final straw that broke the camel’s back. The video of his public confrontation made the rounds of the high level bureaucrats and ministers who only frowned and made dismissive remarks.
“The very fact that Naveen did not step into the council after the May 19th episode, said it loud and clear that he was dejected with the council. My all-time gratitude to him because he brought in the self-help group system for waste collection which saved the council precious funds to the tune of 18 lakhs per month,” said former MMC chairperson Savio Coutinho.
A month ago, Naveen was the apple of the public’s eye and it was the way the Margao’s first IAS chief officer, in his first official stint, took on another chairperson, Gonzaco Rebello that earned him praise from all quarters except the municipal councillors.
In Rebello’s case, much to the surprise and delight of the public at large, Naveen issued a demolition notice against Rebello’s restaurant premises located at Mungul. While this move was immediately thwarted by the Urban Development Minister Francisco D’souza, known to share close ties with Arthur, Naveen didn’t back down and promised to challenge the deputy chief minister’s stay order.
Fearing he would be transferred and upset with the way the elected representatives were trying to take on Naveen, the civic society in an unprecedented move started attending council meetings and raised slogans commending Naveen and criticizing the councillors.
In the meantime, Arthur pulled the rug under Rebello’s feet and he was ousted following a no confidence motion moved against him after his farcical submission of a resignation, only to withdraw it immediately.
Arthur emerged triumphant and became the new chairperson of the ruling group of councillors who backed him to end Naveen’s iron fist IT centric reign of the municipality functioning, much to their dismay.
However, Naveen who was praised for not showing any restraint anticipated that he would have to now face D’silva and got caught up in the moment as he lashed out at the CP in a rush of blood.
It is prudent to recollect what Naveen told Arthur – “Don’t take up a conflict with an honest IAS officer. If you think you’ve come back to the MMC to hassle me, mind it, I am an honest IAS officer. 100 people like you and Raju can’t touch me. You may be a big name but be in your limits and whatever as per law has to be done, will be done”
The government made sure they did not lose the opportunity to transfer Naveen who failed to attend the many meetings chaired by Arthur, be it a special council meeting at the MMC on pending projects, coordination meetings with the MMC and government agencies for pre-monsoon work or high powered committee meetings comprising of the city MLAs to discuss garbage.
D’silva however, rejected any charge that he had any problem with Naveen and said the argument was a misunderstanding and that he was only focused on completing pending development work in Margao in the next few months.
BJP Margao Leader Sharmad Raiturkar stated that he did not want to comment on Naveen’s clashes with the chairperson but felt he could have made more good changes in the administration. “I appreciate the steps he has taken in streamlining certain day to day affairs of the MMC. We need people like him who can bring hope about a good administration in the hearts of the general public,” said Raiturkar.
Incidentally the municipal market leaders were certainly pleased about the development as they had been gunning for Naveen’s replacement and it is no coincidence that a majority of the Rs 3 crore recovered by Naveen came from their coffers.
