the goan I network
MARGAO
Cuncolim Civic Body has recently gained the notoriety for the constant instability caused by council members often changing their political affiliations and playing a political game similar to that of musical chairs in the present term.
The ouster of Chairperson Lavita Mascarenhas from office is unlikely to put an end to the political instability dogging the B Class civic body. With as many as five women councillors coming under one banner to vote out Lavita from office on Wednesday, sources did not rule out the possibility of all the five women staking claim on the vacant seat, but by amicably rotating the post amongst themselves.
The eight-member group, which was instrumental in unseating Lavita from office, will have no option than to race against time, with just around a year and half to go for the current five-year term to end and with the five women councillors expressing their willingness to occupy the hot seat.
If sources in the eight-member group is to be believed, councillor Anjela Luis P will succeed the outgoing chairperson, but for a brief period. As per an understanding amongst the eight-member group, Anjela will hold the reigns of office for three months, before stepping down to pave way for her successor to take over.
However, it’s still unclear who amongst the remaining women members of the group, Kiran P Naik, Succorina Coutinho, Panzy Coutinho or former Chairperson Polita Carneiro will succeed Anjela after three months. And, whether Polita will stay away from the post since she had already occupied the hot seat during the current term.
Sources said while the group has settled for Anjela Luis as its candidate to succeed Lavita, the five women from the ruling group will soon meet and take a call on who will succeed whom in order so that all the women members of the eight-member group get an opportunity to preside over the affairs of the civic body.
“Let the five women meet and decide amongst themselves on their successors. They have to decide on their tenure before rotating the chair amongst themselves,” a source in the ruling group said.
Meanwhile, a day after voting out incumbent Chairperson Lavita from office, the eight-member group, led by Vice-Chairperson Virendra Desai will call on the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant seeking the government’s intervention to address the problems plaguing the Cuncolim civic body.
The group is expected to make a strong case for a full-time Chief Officer for Cuncolim and to sanction additional grants for the civic body to tackle the garbage.
