MARGAO
The controversy surrounding the Margao Municipal Council’s ambitious bio-methanation plants refused to die down even on the last day of the current tenure of the body which ended on Wednesday.
While the Council at its last meeting on Tuesday had given its approval for the seven bio-methanation plants, clearing the decks for the Chief Officer to forward the proposal to the Director of Municipal Administration for approval, a fresh row has erupted in the civic body over the project.
Given that the Margao Municipal Council has confirmed the minutes of the Standing Committee, which had granted approval for the Rs 43-odd crore project, questions are now being raised whether the approval granted by the civic body conforms to the law in force.
Questions are raised whether the Standing Committee of the Council has the power to approve a project costing around Rs 43 crore.
Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes is believed to have maintained that his office will seek legal opinion on the question whether the Standing Committee is empowered to decide on a project costing Rs 43 crore.
Wednesday saw a delegation of citizens calling on the MMC Chief Officer to question the legality and validity of the Standing Committee resolution of the Council dated October 14.
Former Chairperson Savio Coutinho claimed that the Standing Committee resolution stands invalid as the committee has no powers to decide on the proposal costing more than Rs 43 crore.
“The bio-methanation project should have been a subject matter for the Council to decide and not the Standing Committee,” Coutinho stated. “Even the discussion on the proposal at the Council meeting dated 22/10/20 was for the confirmation of an invalid resolution of the Standing Committee,” he added.
The Chief Officer has been requested to refrain from processing the proposal of the GWMC on the basis of the Standing Committee resolution No 3636, as it was illegal and invalid.
Given the situation, and against the backdrop of the fact that the tenure of the current body has ended on Wednesday, the ball lies in the court of the Chief Officer on how to go about the legal matter.
While the Chief Officer was not willing to come on record, sources said Agnelo is believed to have maintained that his office will seek legal opinion on the matter before forwarding the project to the DMA for administrative approval.
