The Shadow Council led by former Chairperson Savio Coutinho led a dharna to the MMC today (Tuesday) to protest against the new price for door-to-door sorted garbage collection which was circulated by the Margao Municipality Chairperson Dr Babita Angle sai and her councilors.
“I demand that the MMC does a proper study and compiles its data correctly. There are so many offices that run out of residential flats in the city limits and don’t pay any taxes to the MMC. They should be brought under the tax net and once that is done the cost of garbage collection can automatically reduce with the MMC having more funds at their disposal.
While the new market traders gheraoed the Chief Officer Y B Tavde and Dr Babita crying foul over the exorbitant revised lists that forces the traders to pay up to Rs 1,000 a month as garbage collection fees.
“We can consider a roll back on certain fees but we want the market vendors to first ensure that all hawkers and traders in the new market are brought under the tax net. We’ll also issue house tax numbers to all unregistered premises that are being used for offices. I wouldn’t say that these different factions or political affiliations are stalling our initiatives. Some of them have valuable suggestions which I am accepting,” stated Dr Babita.
But Dr Babita brought a scathing attack against Shadow Council leader and former Chairperson Savio Coutinho.
“In Savio’s tenure the sanitation fee was revoked and this Shadow Council needs to know that any good initiative needs funds and money and hence a garbage collection fee is not to political. The work at Sonsoddo was stalled for so many years because nobody channelled funds for clearing the dump and now Vijai Sardesai as a minister has got the GSIDC to take it up as priority which means nothing comes free,” stated an agitated Babita.
While builder and social activist Datta Naik stated that the politics of the MMC, the petty local politicians, the MLAs of Salcete and Fomento have sadly put the entire city at risk of garbage and paralysed all initiatives and that individuals need to dump their political agenda and focus on sorting garbage and recycling it.
