MAPUSA: A Mapusa Municipal Council was cancelled after councillors strongly objected to lack of proper procedure followed while confirming the minutes of the special meeting which was called on November 6. Two councillors – Prakash Bhivshet and Shashank Narvekar pointed out that an emergency meeting cannot be called within 24 hours and a clear notice of 3 days has to be given.
Secondly, Councillor Prakash Bhivshet pointed out that calling meeting to discuss sopo (sitting tax) cannot come under emergency meeting. The chairperson should know clearly what is an emergency, such as a fire or a flood. Sopo collection cannot come under emergency meeting. Presently the MMC itself is collecting sopo for the last six to seven months, this has to be tendered, they said. There are lot of complications which have arisen around the issue. There is lot of interference. No one is coming forward to bid for sopo collection, Prakash Bhivshet said.
“The MMC administration is clearly to blame. They send things to chairperson who blindly signs it. The administration should clearly read what they send for signature,” Prakash Bhivshet added.
Councillor Shashank Narvekar, even when the new BJP council was formed, they had failed to follow procedure and we had to remind them. Even the last meeting they took they gave the notice just 24 hours in advance. “There should be clear seven days meeting excluding the day of notice and the day the meeting is held. The ruling councillors are not interested to work. These type of people have been roped in by the BJP and are ruling the council,” Narvekar said.
As long as such type of people are elected, the situation will be the same. If one sees the condition of Mapusa one can imagine how much the councillors are worried about the state of the town. This meeting and future meetings will be held in the same manner as long as such people are there, councillor Narvekar added.
