MARGAO
The row over the Shivaji statue cum float confiscated by the Margao Police has finally ended last night after the statue was handed over to the Shiv Samraj group on Monday night.
A fresh controversy, however, may erupt now, this time over Margao Municipal Council’s decision to sanction Rs 2.5 lakh to one group of Shiv Premis involved in preparing the Shivaji float for the Shiv Jayant celebrations held in the city on February 19.
While taking possession of the Shivaji statue on Monday night, a member of Shiv Samraj Sandeep Kalangutkar had pointed out that if at all the Margao Municipal Council want to provide funds, it should go to the Shiv Samraj and not to any particular group.
Similar demand has come from Margao Municipal Councillor Ravindra (Raju) Naik, who is a member of the four member-panel constituted by the Margao Municipal Council to oversee the funding of the Shivaji float on the day of the Shiv Jayanti on February 19.
In fact, Ravindra made an appeal to the Chairman of the four-member MMC-constituted panel, Councillor Sidhant Gadekar, to see that funds are not provided to any particular group when majority of the groups involved in the celebrations have all rallied behind Shiv Samraj. “At the Council meeting, I had opposed MMC’s decision to provide funds to celebrate Shiv Jayanti since the Shiv Samraj consists of around 16 different groups. After members of some groups came face to face forcing the Margao police to confiscate the Shivaji statue and float at the police station for a week, it is now clear that majority of the members are now with the Shiv Samraj and not with any individual group. Hence, panel should be cautious while giving the funds”, he said.
Gadekar, however, said no decision has been taken by the Panel to provide funds to any particular group involved in the Shiv Jayanti celebrations, adding that a proper decision will be taken after taking all the members into confifdence .
The Margao Municipal Council has received Rs five lakh grant from the Tourism Department to celebrate Shiv Jayanti in the city. However, due to paucity of time, the MMC could not hold a programme on Shiv Jayanti day, but decided to sanction 50 per cent of the tourism department’s grant to the Shiv Jayanti rally taken out from the Housing Board, Gogol.
