MARGAO
Margao Municipal Chairperson Lyndon Pereira tendered his resignation from the post on Friday after presiding over the reins for the last 15 months, even as Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai said the party has honoured its word given to the alliance partner of relinquishing the post within the set time-frame.
The resignation will come into effect after seven days, after which the Director of Municipal Administration (DMA) will hold the election for the vacant post.
While addressing the media along with Lyndon and Goa Forward-backed councillors, Sardesai said that vice-chairperson Deepali Sawal has not put in her papers yet as vacancies for the two posts would only facilitate the government to appoint an administrator and allow the ruling party to rule the civic body sans accountability.
“Our Goa Forward-backed Chairperson Lyndon has relinquished the post. By honouring our word, we are proving that we are Goemkars. There’s a close connect between Goemkar and word. For us, it is not just a four-letter word. The Chief Minister and BJP leaders make promises, but do not honour them. They use and misuse the word to get power and wealth,” he said.
He added: “If we had not to honour the word, nobody would have dislodged us, but we have protected our word. We have proved that politics in Margao and Goa will be on personal integrity and will prove that word is an indisputable part of politics.”
Saying that Lyndon had to face many issues as his Chairpersonship started during the second Covid wave, Sardesai said the BJP had tried to dislodge the Chairperson, but could not succeed. “During the previous term of Goa Forward-backed Chairperson Pooja Naik, BJP and Congress had united to dislodge her, but failed,” he added.
The Fatorda MLA said a lot of development work was ushered by the Margao Municipal Council during the last 15 months, saying the civic body has made a serious effort to resolve the Sonsodo imbroglio by handing over the site to the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC).
He said the Goa Forward will maintain the alliance with MLA Digambar Kamat’s Model Margao as per the verbal agreement.
“We have heard speculations in political circles and we are ready for everything. But, irrespective of speculations, we had to maintain our word and have to reintroduce it in Goan politics than clinging on to power,” he added.
Proud to leave chair without corruption charges: Lyndon
MARGAO:
Moments after putting in his papers, Margao Municipal chief Lyndon Pereira said he can proudly state that he was a non-corrupt Chairperson as he discharged his duties and responsibilities with honesty and dedication.
Saying he is resigning from office as the agreement with the Model Margao panel mandated him to occupy the post for 15 months, Lyndon said: “I have kept my promise and the Goa Forward Party has maintained our word. I am proud to leave the chair without any corruption charges. When I had taken charge 15 months ago, I promised to provide a non-corrupt administration. I have kept to my commitments. I believe in certain principles and credit goes to my mother,” he said, as he thanked the Goa Forward chief and MMC councillors for their cooperation.
He added: “MMC was dubbed as a corrupt municipality, but I have worked with dedication and took up public work of the common people. I used to welcome citizens with simplicity and honesty. People of Margao and Fatorda were happy with my functioning.”
Expressing satisfaction with his performance, Lyndon said he had proposed parking lots for the senior citizens and made a serious attempt in resolving the Sonsodo imbroglio.
“I have installed bio-metric face reader and CCTV cameras inside the civic body to instil discipline amongst the staff,” he added.
Model Margao group to soon meet to pick successor: Kamat
MARGAO: With Margao Municipal Chairperson Lyndon Pereira putting in his papers on Friday, Congress Margao MLA Digambar Kamat said the Model Margao group of councillors will soon meet to zero in on Lyndon’s successor.
“Lyndon has quit office as per an agreement to rotate the MMC Chairperson and vice-chairperson’s post between. Since Lyndon has resigned, my Model Margao councillors will meet to pick his successor,” he said.
Saying there’s still time to decide on Lyndon’s successor since the resignation will come into effect after seven days, Kamat exuded confidence that his group will pick the right candidate for the post at the right time.
All eyes are focused on Kamat and his group as there seemed more than one claimant for the coveted seat. While two-time councillor Damu Shirodkar is waiting for Kamat to honour the word given to Aquemkars that he would succeed Lyndon after 15 months, a group of councillors seemed to back young Shagun alias Dada Naik for the post.
