Team Herald
MARGAO: Margao Municipal Council Chairperson Dr Babita Prabhudessai on Friday asserted that from Monday till the time she continues to hold the office, she would use her personal vehicle and not of the council for all official purpose.
Briefing media persons, she recalled that for nearly five months during the election period, she used her personal vehicle and went back to using the council provided vehicle on the advice of then chief Officer Y B Tavade.
“The then chief office advised me to use the official vehicle because it was becoming difficult to maintain the log book. However, now I know that there is a system where personal vehicle can be used,” she said adding that the chief officer had misguided her.
She opined that with her decision to use only her personal vehicle in future, the issue will die a natural death. “I have my own resources and I did not become the chairperson for freebies,” she said. Replying to a question, she said, she had taken the decision to maintain “good health” of the council which was being affected.
She said the official vehicle of the chairperson is giving a lot of problem necessitating an expenditure of nearly Rs 40,000 every three months and hence thought of purchasing a new vehicle as the then CO had advised her to use only the official vehicle.
“Now that I have decided to use only my personal vehicle, the council will not purchase the new vehicle,” she said while admitting that the officials had started the process to purchase a new vehicle and she had insisted that it would be purchased only if the Directorate of Municipal Administration approved.
It was proposed to purchase an Innova Crystal vehicle with a quoted price of Rs 15,41,200 even though the MMC is empowered to purchase vehicle worth Rs 13 lakh only and that is why the Directorate of Municipal Administration’s approval was sought.
This matter had stirred a hornet’s nest with nine of 11 councillors from Fatorda bitterly complaining about it to the Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai at a special meeting held on October 24.
In fact, it is learnt that the councillors had decided to launch a movement to get Dr Babita removed as the chairperson after the new vehicle was purchased. But with her decision to use her personal vehicle, Dr Babita has thwarted the brewing movement against her.
