TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Margao Municipal Council’s controversial e-tenders which had hit the headlines over a month ago stands pushed to the background with the realignment of forces in the Margao Civic body.
While Chief Officer Deepali Naik has forwarded a detailed report to the Director of Municipal Administration on the e-tender row, the Civic body is yet to take a final call how to go about the five tendered works which stands partially completed in the wards.
When Herald contacted the Director of Municipal Administration, Elvis Gomes to shed light on the fate of the MMC e-tenders, he said the issue falls within the domain of the Margao Civic body. “I have told the new Chairperson Dayanand Deulkar to take a call on the tenders. The Council should take a decision on the tenders,” he said, while saying that the Civic body need not scrap the e-tenders, but prepare fresh estimates and re-tender those works which stands partially completed.
The MMC Chairperson, when contacted, said that the Civic body should take a call on the controversial issue. When questioned whether the Civic body would scrap the e-tenders or tender only the controversial ones, he said there’s no need to scrap the e-tenders.
Deulkar’s stand assumes significance given that it was he and his group of councillors, which was at the forefront in demanding scrapping the e-tenders, suspecting a big scam. In fact, the group used the controversial e-tender as one of the grounds to dislodge the former chairperson Arthur D’Silva from office. “I have not changed my stand after joining hands with the Arthur group. There’s no compromise as far as the e-tender is concerned. The special meeting of the Council had recently agreed to prepare fresh estimates in respect of the works already completed and go ahead with the remaining works,” Deulkar added.
