Team Herald
MARGAO: Why a WagonR vehicle allotted to the administration section going to Panjim everyday is the question being asked in the Margao Municipal Council with whispers that it is used to transport Chief Officer Siddhivinayak Naik’s family that lives in the capital city.
MMC has nine vehicles of which one Maruti SX4 is used by the chief officer and the Maruti Ertiga is used by the Chairperson. The Altis Corolla vehicle is used by the Municipal Engineer. While the market inspectors are allotted a Sumo Jeep, the technical section uses one Bolero and one Maruti van.
Besides, the MMC has two Wagon R vehicles one of which is used by the technical section and the other is for the administrative section and is usually parked at the MMC garage at old market and it is this vehicle that keeps going to Panjim practically on a daily basis.
What is particularly surprising is that the vehicle generally leaves at around 7.30 am and returns at around 7 pm thus remaining in the capital for the whole day.
The chief officer justified the visits to Panjim on grounds that it goes with correspondence that is to be submitted to various offices in Panjim. When asked the reason for the vehicle going to Panjim everyday he said that was because the council has that much of correspondence to be sent there.
He expressed surprise at the suspicion raised in certain quarters that the vehicle was being used to transport his family and pointed out that he had in fact tried to reduce the expenses of the council by driving his own vehicle.
“If I had to use a municipal driver, the vehicle would have to come to Panjim to collect me in the morning and in the evening would have to drop me and then return to Margao. I am saving the fuel cost of two trips to Panjim to pick me and returning after dropping and that is quite a saving,” he said.
