MARGAO
Can the Margao municipal garage at the old market, which has been an eyesore over the years, with the garage playing host to scrap and unused vehicles, look forward to a turnaround soon?
A Margao municipality team headed by Chairperson Damu Shirodkar, vice-chairperson Deepali Sawal, Chairman of garbage committee Camilo Barretto, councillor Sadanand Naik and officials descended at the old market to take stock of the situation, only to find a host of vehicles awaiting to be scrapped for want of formalities.
The team also came across the two brand new BS4-compliant trucks, costing Rs 37 lakh, lying in the garage for want of registration since the BS6-compliant regime came into force in April 2020. The team had nothing to comment on the two e-rickshaws lying in the garage, which were roped in by the municipality last year from an agency, by throwing the codal formalities to the winds, even as Municipal Chairperson, Chief Officer and officials seemed to have run out of ideas how to recover the amount of Rs eight lakh from the agency.
Incidentally, Chairperson Shirodkar seemed more interested in getting the hearse van back on the road, giving directions to the municipal mechanical engineer to repair and get the van on the road before the weekend.
On the two BS4-compliant trucks lying in the garage for want of registration, Damu told the media that the council has adopted a resolution to write to the Transport department with a request for relaxation and register the two trucks on grounds that the municipality is an essential service.
Questions, however, are being raised in the corridors of the civic body about whether the council has adopted the correct approach when the municipal lawyer had advised approaching the Supreme Court, monitoring the BS6-compliant regime. Sources pointed out the civic body has already lost two precious years, and any further delay by approaching the Transport department may go against it in the Apex Court.
The Chairperson defended the delay in disposing of the old and scrap vehicles, saying the municipality is mandated to comply with laid down guidelines before selling the vehicles as scrap.
“We have inspected the garage and found several vehicles lying in the shed. I have asked for a report and minutes of today’s inspection so that the civic body can take up the next course of action,” he said.
Incidentally, the Chairperson sought to defend the delay in deciding vis-Ã -vis the municipal garage after taking over the office three months ago. “Three months have passed since I took over. I visit the garage every week, but we could not decide on the vehicles, both scrap and road-worthy, since there is a committee headed by councillor Camilo Barretto looking after the garage and garbage. The council will now decide after receiving the inspection report,” Damu said while flaying certain groups for levelling allegations against the council.
SCM rubbishes MMC chairperson's claims over registering BS4 trucks
MARGAO:
Shadow Council for Margao convener Savio Coutinho has rubbished the claims of the Margao Municipal Chairperson that the three trucks with BS4 engines would be registered with the help of the government, pointing out that the council has already made these attempts earlier, with correspondence to all the government departments connected with the registration.
Reacting sharply to the statement of the MMC Chairperson, (during the garage inspection) that citizens should offer solutions instead of making allegations, Coutinho stated that they have already suggested that an inquiry should be ordered to fix responsibility, and recover the losses from the culprits who put the public exchequer into a loss of nearly Rs 45 lakh.
"When the ban on BS4 engine vehicles has come from the Supreme Court, how will the registration authority overrule the directions of the court?" Coutinho questioned. "If the Chairperson thinks that laws have changed with his mentor Margao MLA Digambar Kamat joining the BJP, then he is highly mistaken," Coutinho added.
He charged that the council and the leaders controlling it are trying to shield the people responsible for the losses to the public exchequer. "A total amount of Rs 45 lakh has been lost on account of vested interests of those who bypassed all rules while purchasing the three trucks and two bio rickshaws."
