TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Margao hoteliers on Tuesday agreed to pay garbage collection fees along with the arrears in instalments, but have questioned the Margao Municipal Council for exempting road-side vendors and other shops and establishments from the purview of the garbage collection fees.
The hoteliers, however, have lamented that the civic body was not following a laid down criteria while carrying out classification of hotels. The hoteliers’ request for a three-month instalment facility has been accepted by Margao Municipal Chief Officer Deepali Naik.
A delegation of hoteliers under the banner of Margao Hotel Owners Association led by C P Jaggi called on the MMC Chief Officer in the wake of notices served by the civic body over the payment of arrears.
They submitted a memorandum to the Chief Officer stating that the hoteliers had always been paying garbage collection charges as and when demanded. Jaggi contended that due to abnormal growth in the number of roadside vendors serving bhaji pav, wada pav, samosas, buns, dosas, omelette and other non vegetarian items and tea, the hoteliers find it hard to maintain workers and to meet their salary requirements.
After the meeting, Jaggi told the media that the hoteliers have told the Chief Officer expressing their willingness to pay arrears since February 2001 on the basis of the old rates.
During discussions, the Chief Officer said the civic body has decided to levy the old garbage collection charges, while promising to give them instalment payment facility as requested.
Jaggi, however, protested over the illogical and irrational classification exercise carried out by the civic body while categorising the hotels. “They have clubbed big-time hotels with small ones. The civic body has not applied any yardstick while classifying hotels”, he lamented.
