Team Herald
MARGAO: Even as the sopo collection tender was hotly discussed amidst allegations by some councillors that Rupesh Mahatme was being given precedence over other councillors Chairperson Dr Babita Prabhudessai declared that she would seek legal opinion on the matter and get back to the council.
There were heated discussions over the issue of sopo collection with former deputy chairperson Doris Texeira and Manoj Masurkar alleging that priority was being accorded to whatever councillor Rupesh Mahatme was saying and ignoring other councillors.
The uproar erupted following Rupesh’s suggestion that the sopo collection tender be allotted for three years with a condition that every year there would be an increase of 10 per cent in the sopo fees payable to the council as was done at Vasco and Mapusa.
“While Shirodkar kept bagging the sopo contract in Margao from 1995 to 2004, in recent years also the same person is bagging the contract with a marginal increase in the amount payable to the council,” argued Rupesh.
Chairperson Dr Babita Prabhudessai agreed with him and recalled that one contractor who bagged the contract abandoned it midway without even paying the fees due to the council. However, Doris while vociferously disagreeing with the proposal also insisted on taking the views of the other councillors.
“Why is so much important being given to what one councillor is saying when there are others who do not agree with his view,” she questioned even as Manoj and other councillors stood in her support. Dr Babita finally said she would seek a legal opinion and come back to the council for a final decision.
As Doris protested about lack of time, Dr Babita said she would get the legal opinion within a week. However, members suggested that financial matters like sopo tenders should not be presented for discussion at the eleventh hour but should be decided upon in advance.
Ban on Plastic: Dr Babita also read out the circular issued by the council proposing a ban on plastic in the town and said that the laws of the land support this decision. She also explained that even use of plastic cups will be banned under the order as many councillors pointed out the growing heaps of plastic cups specially in the morning.
“We have already issued the notices but for the public we shall put up flexi banners and use other means so that nobody can tomorrow claim that they were not aware of this move,” said Dr Babita while adding that the council has a major problem of villagers dumping garbage in the city.
“I have discussed this matter with the Collector the other day and asked for a meeting with the director of panchayats and other officials so that we can deal with this problem that is becoming really very difficult to manage,” she said.
While stating that the Sanitary and Market inspectors will have to manage the plastic ban, she asserted that micromanagement of the scheme be best left to the concerned officials while the councillors concentrate on framing policies.
