TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Petroleum companies owe a whopping amount of outstanding arrears running into lakhs of rupees to the Margao Municipal Council by way of rent.
In fact, the MMC has served notices on four petroleum companies having fuel outlets on municipal land in the heart of the city to pay the rent amounting to Rs 66.22 lakh within 15 days.
A team of MMC officials has served the notices on the four fuel pumps, even as questions are being raised in the corridors of the civic body over the huge outstanding arrears and attempts made in the past to recover the same.
The municipal action saw representatives of the fuel pumps come running to the civic body on Monday seeking a break-up of the arrears, including the municipal decision to revise the rent since 2010. Even as the pump owners have raised eyebrows over the huge rent bill raised by the civic body, the municipality is faced with a question as to why the civic babus allowed the rent arrears to pile up for the last couple of years.
In the past too, the civic body had disclosed plans to get the fuel pumps clear the arrears, but the exercise lost the steam midway. Municipal officials in the know said that the new Chief Officer Naveen, IAS, has given a clear cut deadline on the concerned section to get the arrears within a set deadline even it means attachment of the municipal properties used by the companies.
In the meantime, citizens have asked the Margao Municipality to demarcate the property leased out to the fuel pumps in the heart of the town and to maintain the pedestrian footpath at the pumps.
