When a Geographic Information System (GIS) is considered a solution to bring unassessed houses and business establishments under the tax net and enrich the coffers of local Civic bodies, this GIS survey seemed forgotten in the corridors of the Margao Municipal Council.
Strange it may seem, but true when the GIS survey promises to boost the revenue of local bodies and make them self-sufficient financially, the GIS survey report is conveniently brushed under the dusty files for reasons best known to the Margao City Fathers and the Babus. This would sound all the more strange when the Margao City Fathers and the powers that be controlling the civic body do not stop talking big about mopping up tax sources for revenue generation.
Why is the GSI survey report still not placed in the domain of the present set of City Fathers, the Chief Officers, besides the Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and his Fatorda counterpart Vijai Sardesai to pave way for its implementation? Have the two MLAs, who have stakes in the civic body, ever tried to find out from the City Fathers and officials why the GIS survey is not implemented till date when revenue generation is a talking point in the corridors of the civic body?
Otherwise, consider this. When The Goan had drawn attention of incumbent Chairperson Damu Shirodkar in January last to the GIS survey report gathering dust in the corridors of the civic body, the civic chief promised its implementation at the earliest after laying his hands on the report. Shirodkar even pointed out that the GIS survey report would help serve his purpose since he has set out on an agenda to tap all sources of revenue generation, including from unassessed houses and business establishments, to make the civic body financially independent.
Five months down the line, the ground reality hasn’t changed for the better. It’s not known whether the office staff has not yet submitted a copy of the GIS report to the civic chief or whether the survey report is buried deep in the dusty records.
For, the GIS survey report was conducted way back in 2017 after the civic body headed then by Municipal Chairperson Babita Angle Prabhudesai had roped in a professional agency to conduct the survey, beginning with MMC ward No 14 – the city’s commercial hub. The survey report had come in possession of the civic body in 2018, but the report is yet to see light of the day.
The Goan understands that when the GIS report was submitted to the civic body, the MMC taxation section was then headed by Accounts and Taxation Officer, Abhay Rane. Questions are being asked in the corridors of the civic body why has the Powers that be still not requested Rane, who has returned to the Margao Civic body with promotion as the Accounts and Administration Officer to place the survey report before the civic chief or the chief officer for its implementation.
It is a sheer coincidence that when the City Fathers have no qualms in granting extension to a Recovery Officer, working for the civic body on contract, the same zeal and enthusiasm is not seen amongst the elected representatives to ascertain the status of the GSI survey report.
Even assuming the MMC cannot lay its hands on the GSI survey report, sources said nothing stops the civic body from getting a copy of the report from the agency engaged in compiling the report.
Sources said the GIS report would have helped the civic body to plug the revenue leakages running into crores of rupees just from a single Municipal ward.
“When a readymade GIS survey report is there before the civic body, it is indeed surprising that the City Fathers and the powers that be controlling the civic body are mulling a survey to bring all unassessed premises, including both houses and business establishments under the tax net," observed a retired civic official.
