PANJIM: In a dispute pertaining to the construction of footpaths in Mapusa, the State government informed the High Court (HC) that the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) has an accumulated amount of Rs 6.30 crore as grants given by the State government and is free to spend Rs 3.6 crore on infrastructure requirements.
It may be recalled that the MMC Chief Officer (CO) was recently ordered by the HC to submit a thorough affidavit regarding the finances and operations of the council. The HC had then remarked that it had found that against the amounts of over Rs 16 crore spent each year towards salaries and administrative expenses, the expenses towards desilting of wells, repair to roads, drains, culverts, stairs, and footpaths are only Rs 4.37 lakh, or that the expenses of contingencies of cleanliness from door to door are only Rs 4.59 lakh.
The Advocate General (AG) informed the HC that the MMC is free to spend the Rs 3.6 crore that has accrued to build side drains and footpaths that go from the court junction to the North Goa District Hospital.
The AG pointed out that the DMA, who was present in the court, would be issuing the necessary approvals to the MMC within a week’s time.
