MARCOS GONSALVES
marcos@gmail.com
MARGAO: A major plan to shift the petrol pumps out of the heart of town has failed to see the light of day for the last two decades, as a result of which traffic congestion continues to trouble the commercial town of Margao on account of these petrol pumps.
Shockingly, the Margao Municipal Council (MMC), which is supposed to go ahead with the plan, is now groping in the dark about the recent development. However, the Traffic Cell, Margao still feels that there is an urgent need to implement the plan in order to resolve the traffic congestion problem of Margao.
If the District Collector, South G P Naik is to be believed, in 2010 after reviving the plans, he had instructed the MMC as well as Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Margao to initiate the process so that the fuel pumps are finally moved out of the town, but till date nothing has been done. Instead, the civic body went ahead and renewed the leases of the petrol pumps.
At the moment, the MMC fetches a revenue of Rs 40,000 to 50,000 per month from four petrol pumps but the civic body has failed to look into the issue of traffic congestion due to these petrol pumps.
Records indicate that the proposal to shift the pumps was first mooted way back in 2000 by the then District Collector. A host of meetings had taken place between the authorities and officials of the petroleum companies over the shifting, but nothing has happened till date.
Savio Coutinho, former chairperson of MMC told Herald that the proposal for shifting of petrol pumps from the heart of the town was a subject matter over decades ago and correspondence with the petroleum companies was also initiated.
“However, there was not much headway in this matter, as the companies sought alternate land from the MMC for shifting. Their demand was rejected as it was not the responsibility of the council to acquire land for relocation of the petrol pumps, and hence directed the petroleum companies to make their own arrangements,” he informed.
He further stated that the present situation is something interesting, and indeed worth pondering over. With the revision of the rent payable to the MMC by the petroleum companies, the MMC is supposed to earn lakhs of rupees per year.
“That the council is lethargic as usual, on the recovery of the dues receivable is another question. But when the council can earn such a quantum of revenue, why would they make moves for the shifting of the petrol pumps?” wonders Coutinho.
Margao Traffic Cell Police Inspector Gautam Salunke said that the traffic problem in the commercial town of Margao has definitely increased a lot over the last two decades.
“The plans to shift the petrol pumps out of the town will surely help to reduce the traffic congestion over here. The civic body needs to re-think on the issue and take the initiative to execute the plans,” he added.
A petrol pump owner on condition of anonymity has stated “The civic body had decided then that no other petrol pumps would be allowed to operate from the outskirts of the town till the time the concerned petrol pump owners could find a suitable place to shift their business. Shockingly, just the opposite happened. Several new petrol pumps were allowed to operate and at the result was zero,” he stated.
I’m unaware about the decades-old plan of shifting the petrol pumps out of the heart of the town,” Rohit Kadam, Chief Officer said and added that he would find out with his officers about the recent development about the issue.
