CCP Mayor caught on the wrong foot

PANJIM, JAN 17
The ordinary meeting of the Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP) held today which is probably a last one before the term of the Corporation ends on March 20, turned out to be quite stormy with Opposition corporators attacking the ruling members for issuing tenders worth Rs 2 crore without having funds in its kitty.
Opposition members led by Surendra Furtado as well as Adv Avinash Bhonsle also caught Mayor Carolina Po on the wrong foot for not producing confirmed minutes of the standing committee meetings.
Other Opposition members Rupesh Haldankar and Vaidhyahi Naik also joined in as Mayor told that minutes of the standing committee were not confirmed due to fault of the Superintendent Octaviano Dias.
Irked opposition members however told the Mayor not to make Dias a scapegoat when it is all her fault. “Don’t blame Dias when you are supposed to get minutes confirmed, Furtado said.
He also questioned how the standing committee could have conducted meetings when minutes of earlier meetings were not confirmed.
Raking up the issue of tenders worth Rs 2 crore released recently without having ready funds Opposition shouted, “ it is total fraud on the people of Panjim.”
Opposition members posed a barrage of questions to Mayor even as she pleaded with them to raise one question at a time.
She said the government has assured to sanction funds for tenders released recently however opposition members were not satisfied.
No funds from Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Development Renewal Mission (JNNUDRM) — Mayor also came under fire for not being able to get any funds sanctioned under JNNURM in the last five years. Projects worth Rs 36 crore pertaining to various developmental works for city are pending with JNNURM.
Intervening at this moment Elvis Gomes, CCP Commissioner said they have done everything possible during one year however, getting funds under JNNURM is a tri-party affair.
The meeting ended abruptly as Opposition members walked out while ruling panel passed a resolution for appointment of a councillor for redressing the problems of Safai Karmacharis.