Team Herald
VASCO: The Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) has resolved to make Vasco ‘tobacco free’. The council also decided not to renew the licences of erring vendors involved in selling tobacco products under its jurisdiction. This unanimous decision was taken at its special council meeting on Monday.
The proposal to make Vasco ‘ Tobacco and Smoke-free’ was placed before the council by Chairperson Deepak Naik. He informed that the office of member secretary, District Level Coordinator Committee for Tobacco Control, Hospicio Hospital, Margao has forwarded a letter to MMC for 100 percent compliance to Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) as vendors licensed by the municipal council who have been found to have repeatedly violated Sections 4, 5, 6 and 7 of COTPA be informed that their trade licences are likely to be cancelled. Thus after discussing the issue, the Council has proposed measures and later unanimously passed a resolution for the same with a stringent warnings to erring vendors that their licenses will be cancelled if found selling tobacco products.
Naik also proposed to write to the state tourism department for setting up four shacks at the Baina beach which is being beautified by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation. The moment the proposal was placed, MMC Vice Chairperson Shashikant Parab questioned Naik as to why the council needs to adopt such resolution when Mormugao MLA Milind Naik who is brain behind Baina beach beautification has already made plans for setting up shacks. To this, Naik informed that since Baina beach falls under the council’s jurisdiction and as beautification work is nearing completion, it needs to seek permission from GTDC for setting up of shacks on the beach. The proposal was later passed unanimously with the condition that only locals should be given preference for setting up shacks at Baina beach.
In another important decision, the MMC also resolved to hike municipality fees for obtaining water connections for households under the Health Act. Initially, it was proposed to increase the fees by Rs 5,000 for a tiled roof house and Rs 10,000 for a slab house. However, considering the request from the council members it was unanimously resolved to increase the fees marginally which is around Rs 1,500 for tiled roof house and Rs 5,000 for slab house.
The council also resolved to appoint Advocate Mulgaonkar (for High Court matters) to the panel of advocates looking after the council’s court matters. Through voting it was also resolved to send a proposal to the Art and Culture Department to nominate MMC chairperson as the member of Ravindra Bhavan Baina Committee.
