MAPUSA
An ordinary meeting of Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) turned stormy for failing to follow proper procedures while calling for the council meetings, forcing the Mapusa Chairperson Priya Mishal to cancel the Friday’s meeting.
Two councillors “ Prakash Bhivshet and Shashank Narvekar “ slammed the chairperson for failing to follow the laid down procedure as per the provision of the municipal act while calling for a council meeting.
The civic body had called an ordinary council meeting on Friday to discuss a 12-point agenda. However, senior councilor Prakash Bhivshet put his foot down on procedural lapse while calling for the meetings and demanded answers from the chair.
While a flabbergasted chairperson called for the law book (municipal act) to verify the concerned provision, councillor Prakash Bhivshet dropped another bomb and informed the council that the intimation for the Friday’s ordinary council meeting was also not issued as per the provisions of the law.
For the Friday’s ordinary council meeting the municipality had issued the intimation to councilors just six days prior to the meeting instead of seven making the meeting null and void.
Councillor Shashank Narvekar also backed Bhivshet and objected to the council meeting for not following procedures as per the municipal act.
As per the municipal act, the civic body has to give seven day clear notice while issuing the intimation for an ordinary council meeting to the councilors. Similarly, for a special meeting a three-day clear notice has to be issued while the procedure requires 24-hour notice for an emergency meeting.
Caught on the wrong foot, the chairperson wound up the meeting and declared that a fresh meeting will be convened at another date.
“Two councilors brought an objection about the procedure followed that is why the meeting had to be cancelled. The preparation of agenda took some time and therefore there was a delay in issuing notices to the councilors,” Mishal told the media.
The councilors particularly from the opposition wasted no opportunity in hitting out at the chairperson.
“It’s a total waste of time, effort and resources of all councilors and citizens of Mapusa...If the chairperson isn’t advised properly or is unaware of the procedure, I don’t really know what the BJP is doing putting such persons in control of the whole city...Really a shame...The ruling side hasn’t learnt anything in the last two and half years,” said Shashank Narvekar, councilor of ward 5.
According to councilor Komal D’Souza, the council under the present leadership has been found wanting on several occasions.
“Time and again the council has been caught on the wrong foot. We need a capable person in the chair,” D’Souza said.
