the goan I network
MARGAO
Simmering discontentment amongst Goa Forward-backed councillors against Margao Municipal Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai’s style of functioning burst out in the open as they along with Congress-backed City Fathers boycotted a special meeting of the Council on Monday evening, leaving the beleaguered MMC chairperson with no option than to call off the meeting for want of quorum.
The Goa Forward-backed councillors are now looking forward to party supremo and TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai to intervene and bring about a change in the leadership of civic body since as many as nine Goa Forward-backed councillors abstained from the special meeting convened by the chairperson to discuss the issue of multi-storey parking project amongst other
proposals.
The Congress-backed councillors, along with two other councillors, were also conspicuous by their absence at the meeting, which saw the presence of only six councillors, including Babita, vice-chairperson Tito Cardozo, and BJP-backed councillors Rupesh Mahatme, Ketan Kurtarkar, besides Arthur D’Silva and Jaffar Buddani.
Given that only six out of 25 councillors were present in the meeting hall, including the chairperson and vice-chairperson, Babita adjourned the meeting for 15 minutes for lack of quorum, before calling off the meeting as the numbers did not fulfill the quorum criteria.
“We have stayed away from today’s special meeting as we have lost our confidence in the municipal Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai. Goa Forward supremo Vijai Sardesai is our leader and we look forward to him to intervene and bring out a change in leadership in the Margao Municipal Council,” an agitated GF-backed councillor told The Goan after the meeting.
He pointed out that some members of the group had made known their resentment against Prabhudesai at the last council meeting.
“Though the TCP Minister had assured us that the chairperson would mend her ways of functioning, the ground reality remains unchanged. The chairperson takes decision by only consulting 2-3 BJP-backed councillors. Let Vijai take a call on our sentiments,” another councillor said, while making it clear that they are solidly behind the party supremo and their opposition is only to Babita’s continuance in the Chair.
That the Goa Forward-backed councillors would boycott Monday’s special meeting had become evident two days ago when the group had met to chalk out their strategy. That the Congress-backed group also abstained from the meeting indicates that the Goa Forward-backed City Fathers worked overtime to corner the chairperson in a bid
to force the leadership to take a call on their request to change the MMC
chairperson.
When the media later sought to know from Babita the reasons behind the decision of majority of the members, including Goa Forward-backed councillors to abstain from the meeting, the MMC chairperson sought to downplay the discontentment, by saying that the councillors must have not turned up since the meeting was not a regular meeting, but a special meeting.
“I have no idea why the councillors have not attended the meeting. May be they did not turn up since it was a special meeting with a limited agenda,” Babita sought to downplay the discontentment brewing against her leadership.
