MARGAO: The Margao municipality on Wednesday witnessed a huge verbal scuffle and trading of charges and allegations between the newly elected Chairperson Arthur D’Silva and the Chief Officer Naveen Laxman (IAS). It was an ugly exchange which stopped just short of the politically elected chairperson and the young IAS bureaucrat coming to blows.
Chief Officer Naveen Laxman took on the previous Chairperson Gonzaco Rebello by ordering demolition orders of his illegal structure. He now literally flexed his muscles at the new chairperson within an hour of him getting elected. Here is a blow by blow account of some ugly scenes.
Chairperson calls chief officer to his room. CO refuses and then arrives
Scene 1 – 12.35 pm – After the election process is over the new Chairperson Arthur D’Silva addresses the media and expresses his desire to work with Chief Officer Naveen Laxman more effectively. He then asks the peon to call the chief officer to make a joint address. However the chief officer is busy with the debriefing of the election process and tells the peon to stop coming to his room.
The peon comes and tells the chairperson that the chief officer has refused to come. Angry and embarrassed, D’Silva gets up to go to the chief officer’s room when all of a sudden the chief officer appears at the door, enters, takes a chair and sits.
D‘Silva tell Chief Officer Naveen Laxman, “When I am standing, you should be standing too.”
Scene 2 – The chief officer then gets down to asking a municipal engineer to go for the inspection of the MMC building, as demanded by the new chairperson. But seeing the chief officer sitting, while he was standing D’Silva tells him, “I’m willing to work with you, but when I am standing you should be standing (says this part in Hindi “Jab main khara hoon, apko khara rehna mangta hain”)
Chief officer to chairperson: “I will put a bloody camera here, you want conflict, I will give you conflict. 100 people like you can’t touch an honest IAS officer.”
Scene 3 – This is when the situation turns ugly. Naveen gets visibly angry
D Silva says “You are mistaken…”
Naveen Laxman pointing menacingly at him says, “I will put a bloody camera in this kamra (room) first place, you want conflict I’ll give you conflict, there are people taking money here from you, I can prove it, Margao Municipal Council office, this is the only office which doesn’t have a camera, I will first put a camera here. Here there are people taking money from you, I will prove it.”
D Silva retorts: “You are taking the money”
Naveen Laxman ignores this and carries on “This is the only chamber in Margao municipality. I will put a camera here with audio surveillance.”
D’Silva mumbles: “I’ll start the movement with you”
Naveen Laxman shouts back: “Don’t take conflict with an honest IAS officer. If you think you’ve come back to MMC to hassle me, mind it, I am a honest IAS officer, 100 people like you and Raju can’t touch me, you may be a big name but be in your limits and whatever as per law has to be done, will be done” the IAS officer finishes and exits the chairperson’s room.
Scene 4- Naveen Laxman then goes to the engineering section, tells the engineer to note down the inspection observations and give it to him and on his way out says, “There is no turf war, everything will be done lawfully”.
Scene 5- Fragile peace is brokered and the poor peon is blamed for miscommunication. “The corruption allegations were complaints I received on the toll free helpline of the MMC and are being inquired.”
Naveen Laxman says, “The chairperson and I have spoken to each other and have agreed to work together and soon will issue a joint development agenda for MMC day after.”
Arthur D Silva says, “My work and functioning is transparent and I feel that there is indeed a need to fit cameras in the chairperson’s room.”
