MARGAO
The Goa Forward Party has upped the ante against Margao Municipal Council’s steep rise in fees on various services in the new financial year.
A delegation comprising leaders of the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and councillors of the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) on Thursday handed over a memorandum to the Director of Municipal Administration (DMA) opposing the steep hike in trade licence fees imposed by MMC.
After the meeting, MMC councillor Ravindra Naik expressed strong dissatisfaction with the unilateral fee hike. “The council had passed a resolution to increase the fees by only 10 per cent. However, the MMC has arbitrarily raised them by over 100 per cent, placing an unbearable burden on ordinary citizens and small business owners in Margao,” Naik said. He added that the delegation also urged the director to initiate recovery of pending dues instead of targeting compliant businesses with such unjustified increases.
Councillor and former Chairperson of MMC Lyndon Pereira criticised the manner in which the decision was implemented, alleging that the resolution passed on March 24, 2025, had been manipulated. “The people of Margao are upset. This is not what the council had agreed to. The hike is excessive and has caused widespread discontent,” Pereira stated.
GFP General Secretary Mohandas Lolienkar highlighted the disproportionate impact of the hike. “This fee increase punishes those who are running businesses legally, while those operating without registration continue unaffected. This is deeply unfair and unsustainable,” he said. Lolienkar warned that people may soon be forced to take to the streets to protest the decision, and he squarely blamed the Margao MLA for pushing this anti-people move.
GFP General Secretary Durgadas Kamat affirmed that the party would take this issue to the State legislature.
The Director of Municipal Administration assured the delegation that he would review the memorandum, study past fee structures, and compare them with those of other municipalities before taking appropriate action.
