the goan I network
MARGAO
After carrying out the exercise departmentally for the last several years, the Cuncolim Municipal Council on Thursday resolved to outsource collection of Sopo (occupational fees), beginning from the current financial year.
The issue over the decision to engage a chartered accountant to carry out reconciliation of accounts also came up for discussion at the meeting, with some of the City Fathers questioning the rationale behind spending an amount of Rs 15 lakh on the exercise. City Fathers demanded to know why the Council should face the financial burden when the delay in carrying out the reconciliation exercise was a serious lapse on the part of the former chief officers.
At the meeting chaired by Chairperson Polita Carneiro on Thursday morning, City Fathers gave their nod for the outsourcing of the sopo collection as was done in the past. The modalities will be worked in due course of time.
The issue over the payment of honorarium to the City Fathers came up for discussion, wherein members pointed out that the Chief Officer should pay the enhanced honorarium as proposed at the Council meeting. Chief Officer Shankar Goankar explained to the councillors that the Director of Municipal Administration is yet to take a call on the resolution proposing enhancement of the honorarium to Rs 15,000 for the City Fathers and Rs 17,000 for the Municipal chairperson.
Incidentally, though the Chairperson Polita Carneiro had prohibited entry of outside people in the meeting hall due to disturbances in the previous meetings, no person was barred from entering the hall.
