MARGAO
The winds of change have started blowing in the chambers and corridors of the Margao Municipal Council.
Doors of the chambers of the Chairperson Pooja Naik and newly-posted Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes no longer remain shut, but are now wide open. Gone are the days when the Chairperson or the Chief Officer, as the case may be, used to remain behind close-doors.
In many years, one can now have a clear look at who is sitting in the offices of the Chief Officer as well as the Chairperson.
With the change in administrative guard in the civic body, the doors of the Chief Officer as well as the Chairperson are open indicating easy accessibility to citizens.
Keeping the doors of the chambers of the Chairperson and the Chief Officer has helped the free movement of people as well as officials. The days of restrictions for officials and people to meet the Chairperson and the Chief Officer seem to be over with the office attendants only regulating the entry of citizens.
The sudden change in the corridors of civic body was brought about following a change in the Chief Officer after the government shunted out Ajit Panchwadkar and posted Agnelo Fernandes in his place.
After taking over the reins of office, Agnelo issued clear instructions to the office attendants not to close the doors of his chamber. The new CO conducted quasi-judicial proceedings in his chamber with the doors open.
Sources said Chairperson Pooja Naik immediately followed suit and the doors of her chamber are also kept open. “This is a new system we have put in place wherein the chambers of the Chairperson and Chief Officer will remain open for the visitors. The doors of our chambers should not come in the way of the public’s accessibility,” she said.
On Wednesday evening, the Chairperson was seated in the office of the Chief Officer discussing official matters.
“Keeping the doors of my chamber open for the public is to bring about transparency. One should remember that quasi-judicial proceedings are to be conducted in an open courtroom. Hence, there’s no question of working in a closed chamber,” Agnelo added.
