Team Herald
MARGAO: Canvassing for all 97 candidates is in the fray in the 25 wards for the Margao Municipal Council (MNC) elections has come to an end. The lanes and streets that were buzzing with loudspeaker laden vehicles have gone silent but technological keeping up the tempo behind closed doors.
Fatorda Forward panel has started its voice message campaign where most of the voters from Fatorda will be contacted on their mobile phones where a recorded message from Vijai Sardessai will be asking for their vote for their candidates.
Some others have also set up special cells to call people to warm up in their favor. The resolution to the issues plaguing Margao for years primes almost every manifesto.
The foremost issue which every panel has mentioned in their manifesto is clearing the Sonsoddo garbage dump that has not only been an eye sore for years but is growing in its size every year. It would be pertinent to point out that the Vibrant Margao floated by the Bharatiya Janata Party is the only panel to give a dateline to solve Sonsodo. While the plan they said will be finalized by 2022, the actual dump will be cleared by 2024.
And even though Margao Municipal Council has a system for door to door segregated waste collection, all the panels in their manifesto promised to set up an improved or effective mechanism to do the same thereby implying that the present system is not really effective.
Most of the panels have also promised to construct a new bus terminus by demolishing the existing one. But nobody has specified what the new bus stand will be like. While Fatorda Forward said it would include a commercial complex to make it economically viable, Vibrant Margao promised three separate bus stands for Interstate buses, state buses and city buses.
The panels have also promised regular interaction with the people after the elections. While Model Margao of Digambar Kamat promises a monthly meeting under the title “Prashna tumche, Jaap aamchi”, Vibrant Margao promises regular visit by the councilor.
Tackling stray dogs and stray cattle has also been promised by some panels like the Fatorda Forward and Vibrant Margao.
Surprisingly most of the panels with the exception of Citizen’s Choice have been silent on the taxes. The Citizen’s Choice Panel has categorically stated that they will be no increase in any taxes for the next five years and instead said the revenue of the municipality will be increased by bringing the non taxpaying section under its ambit.
They promised to tax all the structures in Margao for house tax and sanitation fees too which they have not been doing so far and which has been raised time and again by the Shadow Council for Margao.
While the Margao Civil Alliance has fielded 24 candidates, the Vibrant Margao panel has 25 candidates. The Citizens Choice Panel has 10 candidates and supporting an independent in one ward while the Fatorda Block Congress has fielded only five candidates.
