the goan I network
MARGAO
In an interesting development, Cuncolim city fathers on Friday resolved to hike their monthly honorarium by hundred percent, even as the council has decided to ask the municipal employees to put in hard efforts to recover the outstanding tax arrears in view of the huge wage bill.
CMC Chief Officer Shankar Gaonkar, however, told The Goan that he would not give effect to the council resolution on effecting a hike in the honorarium till he is guided and advised by the Director of Municipal Administration on the matter.
The audit report, which had slammed the civic body for wasteful expenditure to the tune of Rs 48.41 lakh pertaining to the beautification and landscaping at the garbage treatment plant also figured in the discussion at the ordinary meeting of the council chaired by Chairperson Polita Carneiro on Friday.
The Council had approved a proposal to hike the monthly honorarium from Rs 7,500 to a councilor to Rs 15,000, implying a cent percent rise. The honorarium for the Chairperson has been also hiked to Rs 17000 a month as against the present honorarium of Rs 8,500.
If the resolution to hike the honorarium is implemented, it would cost the council around Rs 1.80 lakh a month towards the honorarium of the city fathers.
When The Goan contacted CMC Chief Officer to shed light on the council resolution, he said he would not implement the resolution pending advise from the Director of Municipal Administration. “I will forward the council resolution on the hike in honorarium to the DMA with a plea to guide and advise me on its implementation. If the DMA gives the stamp of approval, the honorarium will be paid as per the resolution,” Gaonkar added.
Though the audit report came up for discussion at the meeting, the council could not pass any resolution since the councilors felt that a copy of the audit report ought to have been circulated well in advance.
The meeting reviewed the progress of ongoing pre-monsoon works, with the Chief Officer assuring the city fathers that the works will be completed well on time in all the municipal wards.
