TEAM HERALD
PONDA: Refuting allegations from an opposition councillor that Ponda Municipal Council (PMC) had suffered a loss of Rs 38 lakh in connection with the sopo tax, PMC Chairperson Radhika Naik said the council had, on the contrary, received an excess sopo collection of Rs 93,000 from the outside shed vendors.
Naik said she would file a petition with DMA to disqualify the councillor for making irresponsible and disgraceful statements through the press, thereby bringing a bad reputation to PMC.
“As vendors in the shed refused to pay sopo, PMC conducted inspection and reduced sopo rates for vendors outside the shed. It was found that PMC received an excess of Rs 93,000 from the sopo contractor from vendors outside the shed,” Naik said.
“After sopo rates were reduced following demand from agitating vendors in Ponda market, the new reduced rates were finalised and the amount for vendors outside the shed was Rs 3.57 lakh from July 16, 2013 to March 31, 2014.”
