CMC meet takes place amidst uproar

CANACONA, JAN 9
After witnessing uproar for nearly an hour, the scheduled meeting of Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) finally passed off smoothly as several resolutions were adopted.
According to reports, it was not an ideal beginning for acting Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson Dilip Kenkre. Two former chairpersons Santosh Gaonkar and Sameer Dessai started to question the legality of the meeting itself and soon started to trade charges not making it possible to conduct normal business.
Opposition benches questioned Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes over the appointment of a deputy chairperson as chairperson when the council already has one. They sought to question his constitutional authority for doing so citing his powers under Municipal Act 74.
Defending his action, Fernandes pointed to the Municipal Act 60 and informed the protesting councilors that after getting necessary approval of Director of municipal Administration, the charge of chairperson was handed over to the deputy.
Later, the council passed a resolution to construct a state of the art and handicapped-friendly three-storeyed municipal council.
The building will have underground parking space for over 100 vehicles, shops on the first floor, municipal and other offices on the second floor and a hall on the third floor.
Fernandes informed that the funds would be sought under SUDA schemes and the building will be constructed at the existing place by demolishing the existing one.
The council also approved staff salaries as per VI pay commission, but the onus is rested with staff themselves, saying that its implementation is subject to recovery of pending house and rent arrears by the staff. There are over Rs 10 lakh in rent and tax arrears.
While CMC is disbursing around Rs 4 lakh in staff salaries, payment of new salaries in accordance with VI pay commission will put additional burden on the CMC coffers by another Rs 74,000 per month. The payment arrears will cost the council another Rs 12 lakh.
Councillors who had subdued earlier left the meeting on a happy note as their honorarium is increased from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,500, while the chairperson will take home Rs 5,500 against the present Rs 3,500.