PANJIM: At a lengthy meeting of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP), corporators grilled the Mayor, Uday Madkaikar listing slew of difficulties Panjim residents are facing. Citing flaws in the ‘Pay Parking’ system they complained that they even don’t find parking in front of their own houses and demanded that passes be issued for residents immediately. They also demanded to improve the traffic signal system.
Amongst a host of other issues corporators proposed to install a composting station at housing colonies, which is aimed at reducing manual labour/ composting and amount of waste found on the streets.
When corpotorars urged the Mayor to give concession on their dues to trade license holders for the first four months of the pandemic, Madkaikar resisted initially informing that 70 % of traders have paid their dues, but later gave directions to the accounts department to study the matter so that the new council can take a decision on the same.
Madkaikar added that CCP had been in negotiations with market traders to enter a Leave and License Agreement but now they will be finalising on a lease agreement.
On a similar accounts issue, it was also announced that a consultant, an ex-joint director of accounts had been appointed to resolve the much pending house tax recovery issue.
In the end, at the council’s penultimate meeting, the budget, which did not see any hike in any taxes, was approved at Rs 88,29, 90,150 with a deficit of Rs 4,77,51,750.
He also explained that they settled the pending market power bills of Rs 2.5 crore with the power department and that correction action is being initiated not to repeat these problems. He also said that PWD’s water bill of 2.25 crore was almost cleared wherein 2 crores was settled as it was being used for public taps.
“For the first time bonuses were given to daily wage earners (taking account of their frontline work during the pandemic),” said Madkaikar
He reveals that that the next council would go paperless; corporators would be given i-pads during their tenure from CCP funds to reduce the use of paper. There was also a resolution regarding the use of the kabrastan issues.
