MARGAO: A group of concerned citizens in Margao has called upon their elected representatives to explain the significant increase in taxes and fees proposed, ahead of the Margao Municipal Council meeting scheduled for June 23.
“The Council recently doubled the sanitation fees after lying to the citizens that the hike, based on the government notification, has been implemented in all 13 municipal councils across Goa. The truth however is that practically none of the other councils have levied such a hike in sanitation fees,” said Shadow Council for Margao (SCM) convener Savio Coutinho.
Coutinho further criticized the council’s decision to impose a late fee on delayed payments of house tax, asserting that it was entirely unjustified. Despite various services being subjected to exorbitant hikes in taxes and fees to generate additional revenue for the council, Coutinho emphasized that unassessed premises were still not brought under the tax net.
The proposed fee hike for the correction of birth/death certificates, income certificates, and NOCs, among others, will now be taken up at the upcoming meeting, claimed Coutinho. The SCM demanded an explanation from the councillors regarding the moral basis for increasing fees for advertisement boards, especially when councillors themselves erected
boards without obtaining permission or paying the applicable fees.
The SCM also expressed discontent with the council’s decision to establish a minimum monthly rent of Rs 10,000 for rented premises. Coutinho argued that while the civic body appeared satisfied with the meagre rent earned from shops in the council-owned markets, imposing such a rent for private premises was unreasonable. “Rents are considerably higher in the heart of the city, along main roads, and at important junctions. It is irrational to expect shop owners in the interior parts and outskirts of the city to pay Rs 10,000 per month,” he added.
SCM demanded that the council carefully consider these factors and make informed decisions rather than arbitrary ones. “The Shadow Council will continue to raise awareness about the council’s actions, but it is crucial for
law-abiding citizens to voice their concerns to safeguard their interests,” he asserted.
