Team Herald
MARGAO: The Margao Municipal Council (MMC), at a meeting on Monday, passed several important resolutions, including to outsource garbage collection, form a committee to settle the issue of exhibition-cum-sales and to decide on the labourer distribution for each ward. The council also resolved to scrap tenders of developmental works worth over Rs 3 crore.
The MMC, according to a letter received from the Director of Municipal Administration (DMA), resolved to scrap the tenders of developmental works that were floated just before the election code of conduct was enforced. In the letter, the DMA has stated that the estimation of the tenders and other basic rules were flouted to circumvent the e-tendering of the works; therefore the tenders stand scrapped and the works shall be re-estimated and retendered.
“The old tenders have been scrapped and the DMA has asked to send fresh proposal for funds for developmental works This gives us a chance to enhance the estimations, as the wards have increased now and the amount allotted to each councillor also need to be enhanced. We have decided that MMC officers will be a part of the resurveying exercise so that we get real-time data,” said MMC Chairperson Babita Angle Prabhudessai.
The MMC has also resolved to outsource the garbage collection of the town on lines of the High Powered Committee meeting. It will float tenders to appoint a contractor to look after the collection system. When questioned on what will happen to the existing collection workers, the MMC assured that they will remain and will work under the contractor.
The Council has also passed a resolution to form a steering committee consisting of the chairperson, deputy chairperson, accounts officer, Margao MLA, market committee members to assess the issue of exhibition-cum-sales and find a way out of the lock down. Babita stated, “There is a Supreme Court order which makes exhibition-cum-sales immune to municipal orders. We won’t be able to stop them immediately, but can do it after discussion and proper assessment all factors.”
Councillors Rupesh Mahatme and Arthur D’Silva also warned that the municipality could be held in contempt if it overlooked the Supreme Court’s orders.
The MMC has also passed a resolution to have a new method of using the MMC labourers. The method will be used on trial basis. Babita stated, “Each councillor will be given 10 labourers for 9 days; the councillor should get the work done and release the workers for the next ward.”
Several councillors had earlier complained that the previous ways of assigning two labourers for each ward is inefficient.
The MMC has also passed a resolution to pay the long-pending overtime of around Rs 4.16 lakh to the MMC workers. Mahatme advised the chair to release the payments by tomorrow afternoon.
