Team Herald
MARGAO: In an interesting development Margao Municipal Council (MMC) will have to return interest of Rs 2.5 crore to the government on the amount of unutilised funds, to the tune of Rs three crore. The MMC was given this fund under the Golden Jubilee of Goa’s liberation package by the state government. With an interest of Rs 2.5 crore, the civic body will have to cough out a total amount of Rs 5.5 crore.
It may be recalled that a fixed deposit of Rs three crore was lying unutilised due to the failure in taking up a multi-level parking project in Margao. This grant amount has generated interest of almost Rs 2.5 crore This is nearly close to the amount of Rs three crore that the civic body got from the government in the 2011-12 financial year. MMC has now been asked by the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA ) to return the unutilised funds.
This fund has been pending before the MMC for nearly a decade and it was supposed to be utilised for a multi-level parking project in Margao. Also, there were no bidders due to the hike in prices, including the imposition of the GST regime made the DMC ask the civic body to return the funds to the government treasury.
However, it has been decided that the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) will take responsibility for the multi-level parking project in Margao, once the MMC returns the amount.
Speaking to Herald, Chairperson of MMC Lyndon Pereira informed that the interest amount on the fixed deposit of Rs 3 crore has almost touched to Rs 2.5 crore. “As per the communication from the DMA the civic body has to return the funds allocated for multi-level parking projects with interest amount generated for the last almost ten years of the time period”, he stated.
He further said that this amount will be directly transferred to GSUDA for the parking project. “We tried our best to push for the multi-level parking project, which is the need of the hour for the people of Margao. No positive response from the agencies has left us with no other option but to say yes to the direction issued by the DMA pertaining to the return of the unutilized funds”, said Pereira.
The commercial city of Margao is facing a tough time with regard to resolving the parking issue for the last several years. This city is in messy conditions due to traffic congestion, and no parking facility has added more issues to the problem.
