MARGAO
In a development that has raised many an eyebrow in the corridors of the Margao Municipal Council, Margao Municipal Chairperson Lyndon Pereira introduced the ruling councillors to the staff attached to the various municipal sections.
That’s not all. While the Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes was not part of the exercise despite being the administrative head, opposition councillors cried foul over the exercise as they too were not part of the interaction on Tuesday.
Perhaps for the first time in the recent history of the Margao civic body, the Margao Municipal Chairperson got the newly-elected ruling councillors introduced to the section staff and employees when the administration mandates the chairperson and the City Fathers to get the work done through the Chief Officer, the administrative head.
Lyndon, however, defended his decision, saying he was requested by the newly-elected councillors to introduce the staff since many of them are first time councillors. “I do not feel there’s anything wrong with the interaction. Since the councillors wanted the interaction, it was held with the staff in my chamber,” Lyndon said.
Two-time councillor Damu Shirodkar, who was part of the ruling Margao Civic Alliance, questioned the chairperson over calling the interaction with the staff without inviting the opposition councillors.
In fact, there was a verbal duel between Damu and a couple of ruling councillors after he reminded the chairperson that he was elected unopposed by the councillors.
Complaints were galore in the past that councillors were directly interfering with the section heads and the staff, trying to bulldoze with their works.
Even the Municipal Union had taken up the matter with the Chairpersons in the past, making a plea to stop the councillors interfering with the staff, but to get their work done through the Chief Officer, who is the Municipal administrative head. An opposition councillor told The Goan that the fact that the opposition City Fathers were not called by the chairperson smacks of malafide intentions.
