MARGAO
Political instability has come to haunt the Congress-controlled Cuncolim Municipal Council with as many as seven councillors in the 14-member civic body tabling a no-trust motion against Municipal Chairperson Laxman Naik.
While all five BJP councillors have put their signatures on the no-trust motion, Congress-backed councillor Raymond D’Souza and Goa Forward councillor Uddesh Desai are the other signatories to the motion.
The notice of the no-trust motion has been entered in the office of the Director of Municipal Administration (DMA) with a plea to convene a special meeting of the Council to discuss the motion.
CMC Chairperson Laxman Naik said he has no idea about the grounds cited by the seven councillors in the no-trust motion. He pointed out that he has discharged his duties as the Municipal chairperson for the last year and a half strictly as per the Goa Municipalities Act. “There has not been a single charge of corruption against me during my stint in office. I am not a person who will cling to the chair if the councillors do not want to stay in office. I do not know why the seven councillors have moved the no-trust motion. I am yet to get a notice of the motion,” Laxman said.
The no-trust motion has been signed by Virendra Desai, Rahul Desai, Uddesh Desai, Polita Carneiro, Vishal Desai, Rupa Gaonkar and Raymond D’Souza.
In the notice, the seven councillors pointed out that they have tabled the no-trust motion against the CMC chairperson for not taking the councillors into confidence.
BJP councillor Virendra Desai, the brother-in-law of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has confirmed that seven councillors of the Cuncolim Municipal Council have signed the no-trust motion against Chairperson Laxman Naik. He said the notice has been entered in the office of the DMA.
Councillor Raymond D’Souza told The Goan that he has signed the no-trust motion since no development has taken place in his ward since his election to the Cuncolim municipal body in April 2021.
