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MAPUSA
In a decision which could have serious financial implications, the Mapusa Municipal Council has decided to appoint three consultants for specific works ostensibly to give a facelift to the city.
The consultants will guide the council on garbage management, landscaping of gardens and providing facelift to heritage buildings in Mapusa.
Mapusa Municipal Council chairperson Ryan Braganza announced the plan of appointing the consultants in ‘any other business’ at the ordinary council meeting on Thursday.
Making a case, Braganza said a consultant would be able to guide the civic body to adopt a more scientific way of managing the garbage generated in the city.
MMC Chief Officer Clen Madeira informed that the civic body wants to stop collecting wet waste within next two years.
“We want people to treat wet waste at source. We have already made a beginning by successfully implementing a scheme of treating wet waste at source in government offices. We now want the housing societies to adopt the same,” Madeira said.
Facing acute labour problems and lack of political will to identify garbage treatment facility, the civic body has been struggling to manage the city garbage.
Plans are also afoot to appoint a consultant to give a facelift to heritage structures in the city. It was decided to refurbish and paint all heritage structures from Hutatma Chowk to Mapusa court circle.
“If we succeed with the plan, we will take up redevelopment of other heritage structures in the city,” said Joshua D’Souza, Mapusa MLA and councilor of ward 13.
The council has also decided to appoint a consultant to suggest landscaping of various gardens within the municipal area.
Councilor Rajsingh Rane said although the intention was good, he questioned the financial impact of such a decision.
Pitching in, former MMC chairperson Sandip Falari said consultants normally charge 5-6 percent of the total cost of a project and wondered aloud how the council will go about in finalizing the consultants.
Braganza tried to reassure his colleagues that consultants would be appointed for a period of six months for a remuneration of Rs 30,000 per month.
The decision to appoint consultants took many councilors by surprise with many wondering whether the decision was justified. Having come during election year, it also raised several eyebrows in the city.
The civic elections are scheduled to take place in October 2020.
“Appointment of consultants is nothing but waste of public money. If the council decides to appoint a consultant for management of garbage, it is a clear admission that they failed,” said Adv Mahesh Rane, a resident of Mapusa, alleging that that appointment of consultants is mainly looked at as an avenue to rake in the moolah.
The council has also decided to offer two shops near KTC bus-stand to Red Cross Society.
Councilor, Sandip Falari pointed out the urgent need to put a ceiling on vendors occupying space in the market. He said the number of migrants vending in the market was increasing and it did not augur well for the council. He further said that no meetings of town vending committee (TVC) have been held for a long period.
The chairperson then promised to call a TVC meeting within 15 days.
