TEAM HERALD
CALANGUTE: The Calangute panchayat secretary’s decision to award pay parking rights to the Calangute Panchayat in the comunidade property in Baga has been hailed by Calangute Panch Joseph Sequeira, even as his rival and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo has downplayed the matter.
However in a twist to the issue, the Calangute Comunidade officials have claimed that the panchayat secretary did not give them a hearing and added that they would file a review petition in the matter.
It may be recalled that Lobo and Sequeira were involved in a proxy war over the pay parking facility at Baga.
The Calangute Comunidade intervened and awarded the pay parking contract to Calangute BJP Yuva Morcha President Yeshwant Kandolkar. Since the matter was under dispute, it came up before the panchayat secretary.
In the secretary’s order, the present BJP contractor was directed to discontinue the collection of parking fees and Calangute Panchayat was given the rights to collect pay parking fees.
Speaking to Herald, Sequeira said the panchayat secretary’s order in the Calangute Comunidade pay parking dispute at Baga is a moral victory to Calangute panchayat.
“We have accordingly reappointed our own contractor to collect parking fees and requested Calangute police to provide police protection to the personnel of our contractor based on the order by the panchayat secretary,” he said.
The secretary’s order, which has ruled in favour of Calangute Panchayat, has surprised Lobo.
Refusing to be drawn into the controversy, Lobo said the matter is between Calangute Comunidade and Calangute Panchayat and his only interest is that the place should be utilised for parking.
When contacted, Calangute Comunidade attorney Suhas Naik said, “We were not given an opportunity to put forth our views before the authority. We had not received any communication in regard to the petition, but were informed of the fixed date of hearing at a short notice. When we wrote back asking for time, the matter was heard and decided without hearing us. We will file a review petition in the matter
