Photos: MARGAO BOARD AND MARGAO BOARD-1
CAPTIONS
MMC board showing list of Chairpersons
MMC board showing list of Chief Officers
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intro: Over the years, Margao Municipal Council has been notorious for its game of musical chairs. Political instability has indeed been the bane of the Margao civic body, with City Fathers focusing more in rotating the coveted chair rather than in ushering in the city’s development. Political instability apart, the Margao civic body has suffered immensely on the administrative front owing to the constant shuffling of Chief Officers of the 'A' Class civic body, writes Guilherme Almeida
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SHARING THE PIE
- Margao Municipality has played host to as many 17 Chairpersons during the last 20 years
- MMC has witnessed constant instability since 1995, barring the 2000-2005 term i.e. during the BJP-backed panel's tenure led by Kamlini Painginkar
- During the current term, four councillors made it to the Chair, with incumbent Arthur D’Silva getting lucky on two occasions
- The civic body also had 18 Chief Officers during the last 10 years
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Margao Municipality Council has often been in the news for all the wrong reasons, and more importantly for its political instability. Strange it may seem, but true, Margao has played host to as many 17 Chairpersons during the last 20 years.
A quick glance at the statistics reveals that barring 2000-2005, the term when the BJP-backed panel headed by Kamlini Painginkar ruled the civic body, instability has literally been the norm than exception at MMC during the remaining three terms - 1995-2000, 2005-2010 and 2010-2015. As many as 15 councillors rose to head the civic body during each of these three terms spanning 15 long years. It was only during 2000-2005 when the BJP was controlling the affairs of the civic body, stability had returned to the 'A' Class Municipality, with Chairperson Kamlini Painginkar almost completing her term. It was only when Margao MLA Digambar Kamat quit the BJP to embrace the Congress that Kamlini had to vacate the chair to pave way for Kamat’s close aide Doris Texeira to take over the Municipal reins.
Statistics further reveal that during the current term, as many as four City Fathers rose to occupy the coveted seat, with incumbent Chairperson Arthur D’Silva making it to the Chair on two occasions.
“The post was rotated amongst the City Fathers either through understanding or via no-trust motions. A certain group of councillors always tried to force their way in controlling the civic body either by hook or by crook. It was this group of City Fathers who triggered instability when they failed to have their way in the civic body,” remarked a former chairperson.
It’s not uncommon to come across stories in the corridors of the civic body of how unscrupulous City Fathers virtually forced gullible chairpersons to arrange tours and excursions to hill stations, Belgavi and Mordeshwar, or risk losing the Chair. During the current term, a City Father openly declared that he was supporting a particular candidate for the hot seat in return for money to fund his election campaign.
Incidentally, the Margao Civic body enjoys the dubious distinction of having 18 Chief Officers during the last 10 years. And, incumbent Chief Officer Y B Tawde and the Margao Civic body appear to be made for each other. For, statistics reveal that of the 18 Chief Officers posted and shunted out of the Margao civic body, Tawde again holds the distinction of presiding over the civic reins on six occasions, a record of sorts in the state’s municipal administration. Says a City Father: “Chief Officer Naveen S L, IAS was a perfect example of how certain City Fathers had worked overtime to get him shunted out of the civic body. Frequent transfers of Chief Officers indeed had a telling effect on the administration.”
The ruling and the opposition were embroiled in a blame game over the question of stability in the civic body.
BJP leader Damu Naik: “The BJP-backed panels are going to Madgavkars on the plank of stability. It was only during 2000-2005 that the civic body had witnessed stability. It was during this period that the BJP was ruling the Council. Only the party-backed candidates can provide stability. The two MLAs should explain why they could not provide stability when people had given them a clear mandate.”
Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai: “The ruling party has been responsible for instability in the civic body after the BJP came to power in 2012. They promised the City Fathers huge financial packages to switch sides, but ended up receiving nothing in return for the city’s development. The BJP has been the cause behind the instability. The party cannot promise stability when it is the responsible for destabilizing the Margao civic body.”
