Shigmotsav committee
PONDA
Differences between the BJP-backed councillors of Ponda and Ponda's MGP MLA Lavu Mamledar have come to the fore yet again, with the councillors objecting to the appointment of Mamledar's aides to key posts on the Ponda Shigmotsav committee.
The Ponda Municipal Council (PMC) is also unhappy that the government has declared Shigmotsav to be celebrated in Ponda on March 25, which is ‘Good Friday.’
While the ruling group of PMC is unhappy that Mamledar's aides are secretary and treasurer in the Shigmotsav committee, they have asked him to replace them with two BJP-backed councillors.
After having defeated former chief minister Ravi Naik from Ponda constituency in 2013, Mamledar organised Shigmotsav under the banner of “Antruz Mahal Shigmotsav Samiti” with the help of PMC and had secured government funds, having sidelined Naik’s Ponda Taluka Antruj Shigmotsav Samiti”.
The PMC's ruling group now feels that it is being sidelined in the organising committee, even though PMC Chairperson Dr Radhika Nayak along with other councillors are the members.
The committee is headed by PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, while Craftsman Minister Deepak Dhavalikar and the deputy collector are vice-presidents.
On Monday, Additional Collector Damodar Morajkar convened a meeting to organise Shigmotsav in Ponda. PMC Vice Chairperson Shantaram Kolvekar, councillors Venkatesh Naik, Sitaram Dangui, Irvin Soares, Vincent Paul Fernandes, Nidhi Mamlekar, Vidya Punalekar, Sunil Desai and Chief Officer and Deputy Collector Johnson Fernandes were present.
Ponda councillor Venkatesh Naik put forth their demand to include councillors in the list.
Asked if the PMC or the MLA was organizing this year's Shigmotsav, Naik said it was not clear as yet.
“There was a dispute last year and the MLA along with ministers did not attend the Shigmotsav. For this reason, we had not taken initiative and were waiting for the MLA to convene a meeting to select the committee. But nothing of that sort has happened,” Venkatesh Naik said.
According to Naik, the government has declared that the Shigmotsav will be celebrated in Ponda on March 25, which is ‘Good Friday.’
“We don’t want Shigmotsav celebrations to clash with Good Friday and hence, we want to hold it on Sunday, March 27,” he said.
Since Ravi Naik’s committee has been deprived of organizing Shigmotsav in Ponda, they are organizing it in Mardol on March 19 from their own funds.
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Mamledar flays ruling PMC group over reservations
PONDA: Hitting back at reservations by the PMC ruling group over the selection of key posts in the Ponda Shigmotsav committee, Ponda MLA Lavu Mamledar has stuck to his decision claiming that the secretary and treasurer are good at their work.
“Why I should take councillors into confidence while selecting the committee? They can be taken into confidence when actual work starts,” defended Mamledar, while speaking to The Goan.
Defending his aides on two vital posts, he said: “They can do justice to the work entrusted to them without any ego.”
