MARGAO
Ahead of the hearing of the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court scheduled on September 27, the Margao Municipal Council and the SGPDA has a task cut out “ how would the two authorities, one involved in running wholesale fish market and retail market and the other duty bound to keep the city clean and hygienic, go about in the payment of fees for the services rendered in lifting away the waste.
For, at the last date of hearing, the Margao Municipal Council had drawn attention of the High Court to the fact that the SGPDA owes the Civic body a whopping Rs 1.48 crore for the collection and disposal of the waste generated in the PDA markets.
Sources pointed out that the High Court Judges has asked officials of the two agencies to hold discussions on the outstanding fees liable to be paid by the PDA to the Margao Municipal on the plea the waste collection and disposal from the wholesale fish market and the retail market does not suffer due to non-payment of the dues.
A glance at a note prepared by the Margao Municipal Council has revealed that the Civic body has been collecting waste from the SGPDA market since 2001 till March 2014. The total outstanding balance till February 2014 stood at a whopping Rs 31.71 lakh. The SGDPA, the note, states had paid an amount of Rs 18 lakh as on October 18, 2006.
The note further states that at the meeting held on July 18, 2017 along with the SGPDA Member Secretary and MMC Chairperson and Chief Officer, it was agreed to adjust the balance amount of Rs 13.71 lakh of waste collection with the outstanding fees of Holy Spirit Feast.
The MMC note further says the charges for waste collection was revised at the rate of Rs 5,500 per trip/per day from April 1, 2016, with MMC now asserting that the total outstanding amount due to the Civic body from the PDA now stands at a whopping Rs 1.48 crore, i.e. from April 1, 2016 to August 31, 2023.
