MARGAO: The Citizen’s Choice Panel formed primarily by three NGOs have fielded 10 candidates for the upcoming municipal elections while supporting one and are confident of bringing about a change in the functioning of the Margao Municipal Council.
While asserting that will not support any other panel they said, “Support from them is welcome.”
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Three NGOs namely Shadow Council for Margao, Goa With Love and Citizens for Sonsoddo came together to form the Citizen’s Choice Panel and have floated four candidates in Fatorda assembly segment and three each in Margao and Curtorim assembly segment while supporting one independent candidate in Ward No 13 of Margao segment.
Citizen’s Choice Panel has fielded the following candidates: Machenzie D’Costa (Ward No 1), Adv Seoula Vas (3), Royston Gomes (7) Vlem Fernandes, Manuel Oliveria (9) (12), Fabian Coutinho (15), Poma Rajesh Kerkar (20), Nadia Vaz (23), Pritam Mortgikar (24) and Kulsum Bi Sheikh alias Rubi (25).
Briefing the media persons, Savio Coutinho of Shadow Council for Margao said, “They have fielded well qualified candidates whose stellar quality is their love for Margao and urge to do something different to change the town.”
“Our candidates are capable of becoming the chairperson of MMC and we shall field a candidate for that post let others support our candidate but we shall not support any other panel,” he said.
Savio listed out the various sins of commission and omission committed by the outgoing council and stressed the need to keep those councillors out if Margao has to be saved now. Air condition room for dust bins, false tenders for works already done, increase cost of biomethanation plant, COVID-19 relief scam, false bills including tickets for tours outside Goa were some of the faults of the outgoing council.
Roque Mascarenhas of Citizens for Sonsoddo said, “The panel will work for the people and take up issues of the sons of the soil and thus give a good council that is responsive to the needs of the people at large.”
Orlando Pacheco of Goa with Love demanded to know why the outgoing council did not discuss the garbage issue in the city or the Sonsoddo problem at their council meeting and said this will one of the top items on the panel’s agenda.
Savio lamented that Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat who had provided him with all the information against the proposed biomethanation plant in Margao was today speaking in support of that project only because he has aligned with Vijai Sardesai.
