Civic chief asserts that old rates remain in force amid complaints of excess collection, asks vendors to report overcharging for action
Margao Municipal Council chairperson Damu Shirodkar displays the sopo fee rates at a media briefing on Friday.
MARGAO
After remaining silent over complaints and reports on the hike in the sopo fee collection in the commercial capital, Margao Municipal Council chairperson Damu Shirodkar on Friday clarified that the civic body has not hiked nor revised the sopo collection rates.
Shirodkar also pointed out that the mobile bakers selling the humble pao on cycles are required to pay a sopo fee of only Rs 10 and not Rs 50 charged by the municipality-appointed sopo contractor.
The MMC chairperson’s stand has thrown up a question or two as to who will look into the complaints of excess sopo charges levied by the contractor and whether the civic body would crack a whip against the contractor.
“The civic body has not even hiked one rupee sopo fee till date. The old rates continue to apply; the contractor has no authority to charge extra fees,” Shirodkar said at a media briefing.
To put things straight, the civic chief said that the sopo fee collector is mandated to collect Rs 10 for a square metre of space occupied by the vendor/hawker.
“For additional square metres, the vendor/hawker is liable to pay an extra Rs 10. This is the standard rule. For vehicles such as jeeps, the per-hour rate is Rs 50; for pick-up vans, it is Rs 100 per hour, and trucks Rs 200 per hour. These rates have been finalised by the MMC and were given to the bidders at the time of the auction,” he said, adding that the contractor is not mandated to charge beyond the notified sopo fees.
To a question of the finalisation of the tender, Shirodkar said the MMC had received four bids for the sopo tender. “The highest bidder, who had quoted Rs 1.16 crore and bagged the tender, later withdrew from the tender. His EMD was later forfeited. This prompted the MMC to allot the contract to the second-highest bidder, Bapu Environment Private Ltd, at a cost of Rs 1.056 crore,” he added.
When the media drew the attention of Shirodkar that threats are being issued by the contractor to charge extra fees, the civic chief said people, including the vendors and hawkers, should bring all such instances to the notice of the municipal council for necessary action.
“The contractor who has bagged the contract has printed receipts carrying his name and that of the MMC. Vendors and hawkers should check the receipt while making the payment. Any excess charges should be immediately brought to his notice or to the notice of the Municipal Chief Officer,” he added.
