TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Has Margao Municipal Chairperson Dayanand Deulkar decided to stay put in office despite the expiry of his six-month tenure on April 4?
This question has come to the fore in the corridors of the civic body as Deulkar braces up to chair the meeting of the Council scheduled on Wednesday to discuss the budgetary estimates for the current financial year.
While Deulkar was supposed to step down from office on April 4 as per an agreement amongst his ruling group of councillors to make way for three-time councillor Sadanand Naik to take over the reigns, he has not shown any urgency in honouring the promise till date. On the contrary, while Sadanand has been insisting that Deulkar should quit office immediately as per the agreement, Deulkar told his colleagues that he would step down only if he is told by the ruling members to do so.
“There was an agreement that I should step down from office after six months. I do not want to continue in office, but my councillors have advised me not to put in my papers”, Deulkar told Herald.
Sources in the know said Deulkar has received support from the pro-BJP group in the civic body, which had extended support to the BJP candidate in the South Goa Lok Sabha poll.
“Let the ruling members tell me to step down and I will do so without wasting any time”, he added.
Sadanand Naik, on the other hand, contended that the Councillors will take a collective call in the event the Chairperson does not resign after chairing the Council meeting on April 30. “If Deulkar fails to resign from office after April 30, then the Councillors will take a collective decision”, Sadanand said.
