Team Herald
MARGAO: The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) has decided to cancel its forthcoming study tour to Mount Abu.
It may be recalled that Herald had reported the Taxpayers Citizenry of Margao had objected to the tour calling it a “money spending” junket. The citizenry had submitted a memorandum to the Chief Officer and Chairperson few hours before the official cancellation statement.
MMC chairperson Pooja Naik said, “It has been decided to cancel the forthcoming study tour of MMC councillors to Mount Abu, Rajasthan and attributed the decision to the advice received from Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai.”
“Paying heed to the advice of Fatorda MLA Sardesai, the councillors supporting me and I have decided to cancel the tour keeping in mind that our councillors should as far as possible avoid the exercise of going on tours at the cost of the taxpayers,” Naik said.
The MMC chairperson appreciated the Fatorda MLA for not using government facilities when he was the minister.
Just hours before the Chairperson’s statement to cancel the tour, the Taxpayers Citizenry of Margao identifying themselves as sincere taxpayers of Margao had submitted a strong objection to the wasteful expenditure of taxpayers’ money on the councillors’ tour to Mount Abu.
“The tenure of this Council is about to end, with elections to be declared shortly. We fail to understand that going by the fact that the term is ending and also many councillors may not even contest fresh elections, the very purpose of ‘acquiring knowledge’ (if any) shall not be served. As such we strongly demand that the councillors study tour be immediately cancelled and no amount from the public exchequer should be spent for the same,” said Taxpayers Citizenry of Margao.
“Two years ago, a similar ‘study tour’ was organised for the councillors to ‘acquire knowledge’ about how a waste treatment plant was functioning in Ajmer when the State government was going gaga over the Saligao plant and how the country wants to have this technology. However, paying no heed to the taxpayers, the then chairperson went ahead with the jaunt and had announced that a report on the Ajmer trip would be made known to the public, which is not out till now,” said Savio Coutinho, who led the delegation.
