Instability ‘hijacks’ Margao Municipal Council
GUILHERME ALMEIDA
gilu@herald-goa.com
The game of musical chairs has once again taken centre stage in the `A’ category Margao Municipal Council at a time when huge outstanding tax arrears amounting to a whopping over Rs 10 crore is staring at the civic body and the dwindling revenue has almost left the civic coffers empty.
Margao City Fathers penchant for the toppling games is well known. The civic body now holds the distinction of having four Chairpersons in the last four years of the current five-year term. Incumbent Chairperson Gonzaco Rebello is facing the heat even before he could complete five months in office. And, his predecessor Dayanand Deulkar had to step down to pave way for his successor in less than eight months. And, if sources are to be believed, at least 2-3 City Fathers have firmly set their eyes on the coveted seat before the term ends in November next year.
The constant change in the municipal chairpersons, however, has had no positive bearing on the municipal financial position nor has the common man benefited in terms of amenities. Setting up of a full-fledged “recovery cell” always finds a mention on the agenda of every chairperson while assuming office. But, leave alone a recovery cell worth its name, a glance at the statistics would only reveal that the outstanding arrears have only seen a rise with each passing year, indicating that the City Fathers only pay lip service to the question of effecting revenue recoveries.
The premature withdrawal of a fixed deposit last month to pay the employee’s salaries and wages has rung alarm bells in the corridors of the civic body, whose revenue collection has not kept pace with its status as the State’s Commercial capital. Leave alone collection of house tax, the civic body has failed to exploit to its advantage and earn handsome revenue from trade and advertisement tax.
Municipal officials in private admit that hundreds of business establishments carry on the trade and business without the mandatory trade license. Nor do business establishments pay the prescribed fees to display advertisement for want of will to bring the establishments under the tax net.
The ruling councillors boasts of its close proximity to the highest echelons of powers in the state administration, but has failed to convince the Urban Development Ministry or the Director of Municipal Administration to release the salary grant and the Octroi pegged at a whopping Rs seven crore. While the government has released one instalment of octori after much delay only recently the salary grant amounting to Rs three crore is pending since last year.
