MARGAO: Taking note
of the flooding in Margao and other important issues afflicting the commercial
town, residents of Margao have urged the Chief Officer of Margao Municipal
Council to hold an urgent meeting to voice their grievances.
It is pertinent to note that recently MMC Chief Officer Rohit
Kadam, had fixed a meeting to hear out the grievances and suggestions pertaining
to several issues including solid waste management, traffic, etc. However, upon
strong objection from a section of councillors, claiming that they were not
taken into confidence before calling for the meeting, he had to cancel it at
the last minute.
“The residents’ meeting was very essential and should not have
been cancelled abruptly. We specifically wanted to find out what made the
council turn the old fish market land into a garbage dump yard. That too, when
it is in the heart of the town,” Adv Snehal Damodar Onskar told Herald.
Edwin Lourenco, another citizen, alleged that there are lots of
illegalities going on in the council. “The NOC for electricity and water
connections are issued based on false documents. A family with a ration
card/election card from Moti Dongor, was given NOC for a hutment in Malbhat,”
he stated.
He said that residents’ meetings are an opportunity for the
public to voice out their grievances. Or else the government should bring in
the Gram Sabha type of system for municipal areas.
“The town roads are beautifully painted and parking areas are
marked. But what is disturbing is that the residents hardly get any parking
slots, since most of the parking spaces have been turned into business centres
by the rent-a-bike and rent-a-cab operators,” Iftiyaz Sayed said.
Carlos Gracias raised issues pertaining to the tax arrears
growing higher and higher and running into several crores.
“The main reason why the residents are not paying their taxes is
because of the council’s biased taxation system,” he alleged.
He further said that he wanted to suggest at the meeting
to apply a uniform taxation system for all and not a system which favours vote
banks
