Team Herald
MARGAO: A massive queue was witnessed outside the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) on Friday, as people, including senior citizens, had to wait for four hours to pay their house tax, but the MMC server was not in order to accept any payment. People were upset that there was no proper communication from the MMC on how long it would take to resume service and they were left waiting for almost four hours.
Many among waiting people said they had either applied for leave at work or had difficulty in arranging transport and after all their efforts to make it to the MMC to pay their bills, but in vain.
MMC officials later to salvage the situation assured the irate crowd that he had taken note of those were forced to stand in queue and would be given first preference when they come any other day. When the MMC officials were asked why there is one counter allocated for it or accept cash, they said it had to be done by one particular computer system that had the prior data of residents with regard to what were their pending dues and also kept a digital record of all such payments made.
People pointed out that they had tried to come earlier this week given the March 31 deadline and there was some technical issue then with the MMC and that they were told to come on Friday April 1 and now are being told to come again at a future date.
“We do not have time to make so many trips. We have to get to work and manage our houses. One side they warn us of facing fines if we pay our bills late and when we come, they are unable to take our payments. There were senior citizens in line today who had to suffer and were sitting on the floor,” said Ligia Mascarenhas, who had accompanied her father to pay his bills.
