TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: The Margao Municipal Council on Monday was hit by a row, with as many as 11 signatories to the no-confidence motion against Chairperson Arthur D’Silva urging the Chief Officer to stop taking all major decisions, especially financial transactions. The signatories called on the Chief Officer Deepali Naik this morning and submitted a letter saying the MMC Chairperson has lost majority in the Council and the civic body should stop major financial transactions. The group of councillors further demanded to know from the Chief Officer how around 300 concrete slabs purchased by the civic body were reportedly unloaded at the residence of the Chairperson.
Incidentally, in order to wriggle herself out of the controversy the Chief Officer referred the councillor’s request to the Director of Municipal Administration, Elvis Gomes, who has got back to the civic body saying that all decisions which have already been taken and sanctioned and are at implementation stage may be processed further. Gomes reminded the Chief Officer that administration is a continuous process, adding that a no-confidence motion pending against a Chairperson cannot come in its way.
With the DMA giving the green signal, the Chief Officer said that she would go ahead with the tendering process of development works. “As per the DMA’s advise, there cannot be a bar on tendering the works,” she said.
MMC Chairperson Arthur D’Silva slammed his opponents for making the request to the CO, accusing them of trying to stall development work. “These Councillors have no right to demand a stop to the process of floating tenders. The government has only recently sanctioned funds to the civic body to take up major developmental works.
