MARGAO
Margao Municipal Council’s decision to revert back the carnival and shigmo parade back to Margao after a gap of half-a-decade may put the authorities, including the district Collector, traffic police et al in a spotlight once again over the contentious issue of parade route.
For, while disposing of a Writ Petition in 2020 on the controversial Margao carnival float parade, the High Court had made it categorically clear that the statutory authorities must independently apply their mind in such matters and not go merely by the resolutions of the Councils.
In fact, a glance at the observations made by the High Court in 2020 showed that the Court had virtually stressed on the Council resolution in deciding on the parade route. The High Court, however, had also asserted that the statutory authorities must independently apply their mind in such matters and not go merely by the resolutions of the Councils.
In 2020, the issue before the High Court was that the Margao Carnival Committee has decided to shift the parade route from Fatorda to Margao contrary to the resolution No. 4934 of the Margao Municipal Council favouring the SGPDA-Nehru stadium route.
The proposed plan had to be shelved at the eleventh hour after the High Court restrained concerned authorities from entertaining any applications for finalisation of the Holy Spirit-MMC square carnival parade route from the chairperson of the Margao Carnival Committee when such applications for the route is contrary to the Resolution No. 4934 of the Margao Municipal Council, favouring the Old Market Circle-Fatorda route.
The authorities, including the traffic police which had in the past had come out openly in favour of the Fatorda route over the old Holy Spirit Church-Margao Municipal square route, may find themselves in a fix over the Council’s decision opting for the old route, in the event the Council’s decision is challenged in the High Court.
