Team Herald
MARGAO: Notwithstanding the Director of Municipal Administration’s advice to explore the option of sealed tender which was also agreed by the Legal Adviser, the Margao Municipal Council, on Friday, opted for open tenders for the sopo collection.
Chairperson Dr Babita Prabudessai dismissed as “perception” questions that the open tender was opted to help some particular person or to keep some persons out of the bidding. She said the MMC interest was best served in asking for open tenders.
“What happens if the bidders decide among themselves what they would pay and accordingly give their bids with minor changes in a sealed tender?” she asked arguing that the council stands to lose in that eventuality.
She also insisted on having at least two years experience mandatory for the bidders on grounds that in the past, people without experience, had won the bid and abandoned it after the feast claiming that they cannot collect the sopo.
Dr Prabudessai pointed out that the upset price was last fixed in 1995 and argued that it has to be reviewed so that the upset price can be increased this time around. Hence it was decided that all areas where the sopo fees were fixed at Rs 2 would be enhanced to Rs 10 while the sopo of jeeps would be Rs 20 for pick-ups Rs 50 and for trucks Rs 100.
While last year the upset price was around Rs 45 lakhs this year it would around Rs 60 lakhs opined the chairperson who also did not rule out the possibility of the sopo auction being done through e-tender in future conceding to the demand from councillor Ketan Kurtarkar who incidentally triggered a heated debate for using the word “setting”.
While demanding e-tendering of sopo tax, Ketan observed that some councillors, who had walked out of the previous council meeting over the sopo matter, were quiet today over the open tender proposal and said there was “setting” done hence the silence.
However, Doris Texeira vociferously objected to this insinuation and demanded an apology from Ketan which he refused to tender. Dr Babita, putting an end to the discussion, said it was unfortunate that such language had to be used and said it was unbecoming of “mature councillors” resorting to such talk.
Dr Babita, while pointing out that there was no direction from the authorities on conducting sopo auction through e-tender, said sopo bids would be invited by May 31, 2018.
