MAPUSA
While the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) has recovered a record Rs 2 crore by virtue of house tax this year to fill its depleting coffers, it has treated the sopo collector with kid gloves by first waiving off one installment and later failing to recover from him almost Rs 20 lakh due to the civic body.
The MMC had allotted the contract for collection of market tax (sopo) to Mandar Nagvekar for an amount of Rs 1.10 crore plus GST for 10 months from June 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.
The contractor was directed to submit a bank guarantee of Rs 27.50 lakh and to collect sopo at Rs 10 per sq mt for open space.
Surprisingly, the contractor unilaterally submitted a half bank guarantee of Rs 13.75 lakh and informed the council that since the market is under curfew, there are no vendors in the market and the balance bank guarantee will be paid after the market opens.
On June 21, the contractor wrote to the council that the sopo collection is not as per expectations as there were less number of vendors due to Covid restrictions and requested that his monthly installment of Rs 11 lakh plus 1.98 lakh GST be waived off for June.
The council considered it a genuine demand due to Covid curbs and in its ordinary council meeting held in July resolved to waive off the installment for June.
Apparently, elated on getting a favourable response from the council, the sopo contractor went a step ahead and again wrote to the council in August praying that the installment for the month of July should also be waived off and further to review the initial bid of Rs 1.10 crore.
He said due to the Covid crises the said amount cannot be recovered as only one fourth of the vendors sat in the market.
In the meantime, at least two cheques of Rs 11 lakh each for July and August deposited by the contractor bounced.
As per the terms of the contract, if the sopo contractor fails to pay the installment within the stipulated time the contract should be terminated.
Chief Officer, Clen Madeira has put the ball in the council’s court and asked it to decide on the representations made by the sopo contractor.
“The council may also decide to terminate the contract and award the contract to the second highest bidder or re-auction the entire sopo collection,” Madeira said.
A livid councillor, Shashank Narvekar said that the council should show no mercy to the contractor and terminate the contract immediately.
“The provisions in the contract clearly states if the contractor fails to pay the installment then this contract should be terminated. These people are trying to take advantage and squeeze the council. This is not done,” Narvekar said.
Meanwhile, the civic body has recovered around Rs 2.20 crore by way of house tax and around Rs 2.10 crore from rent.
Similarly, Rs 50 lakh has been collected from trade licence and tax on signboards.
It may be recalled, the council had suddenly hiked the garbage tax by 100 per cent during the ongoing Covid crisis increasing the burden on the common man.
