MARGAO: Taking serious note of the financial crises, former Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons of Margao Municipal Council on Monday urged the Chief Secretary and the Urban Development Secretary to intervene and salvage the civic body, which is sliding into total bankruptcy.
Addressing a press conference at Margao, Savio Coutinho along with former councillor and former chairperson Ghanashyam Shirodkar, Johnson Fernandes and former Vice-Chairperson Joao Gonsalves came down heavily on Margao local MLA.
They also charged the Council of indulging into alleged scam after scam, and wasteful expenditures.
Savio stated that the waste management system of the Council has turned out to be the biggest cause for the drain-off of the Municipal treasury. Even after 30 lakhs was spent every month on two contractors towards segregated waste collection, not a single kilogram of compost was derived, thus proving beyond doubt that no treatment of wet waste is happening at Sonsodo.
He said that the Council since June 2020, has spent huge amounts on collection of wet waste and another similar exercise will be seen soon, which will result in Rs 4-5 crore getting drained.
Savio listed several other factors for the present financial ill health of the Council viz. non recovery of dues from defaulting Sopo Contractors and Rs 8 lakh from the E-rickshaw suppliers, tapping of Municipal-owned premises for trade license, assessment of un-assessed premises etc.
Former Chairperson and Councillor Ganeshyam Shirodkar demanded that the Urban Development Minister should visit the Council or depute its officers to the Council and verify the shoddy affairs of the Council.
According to Shirodkar, the Council has the potential to be self-sufficient and doesn’t require begging before the government for funds every now and then.
He firmly stated that the government should turn down requests of the Council for grants, and should instead give strict directions to the Council to first recover all pending dues.
