Team Herald
VASCO: The Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) vice-chairperson and four councillors have accused the chairperson of illegally clearing the charter of demands of the Goa Municipal Employees Association (GMEA) without taking the councillors into confidence.
According to information, the demands of GMEA, which were placed before the council during a meeting on Tuesday, were deferred citing financial implications for the council. However, the councillors were informed that a closed-door meeting was held in Chief Officer Melvyn Vaz’s chamber on Wednesday, and it was attended by Chairperson Lavina D’Souza and GMEA officials. The demands were allegedly cleared during the meeting as the council had only a few days left.
“We were shocked to learn about the illegal actions of the chairperson and CO as the council had deferred the issue. We demand that they rescind their decision, failing which we will approach the authorities,” said MMC vice-chairperson Tara Kerkar.
The four councillors who supported here were: Nitin Chopdekar, Shekhar Khadapkar, Suchita Shirodkar and Sudesh Kolgaonkar.
Meanwhile, the chairperson has refuted the allegations. She maintained that neither she nor the CO had signed any approval letter pertaining to GMEA’s demands and claimed that the issue had arisen due to some confusion. She stated, “They questioned and levelled allegations against me. I want to clarify that the demands of GMEA is still pending.”
