MARGAO
Margao Municipal Council Chief Officer Rohit Kadam’s initiative to interact with the citizens on Monday evening on issues plaguing the commercial capital seemed to have raised eyebrows amongst the elected representatives and in the corridors of the civic body.
While some of the City Fathers pointed out that the elected councillors were not taken into confidence by the Chief Officer before going ahead with the initiative, others have feared the initiative should not end up sidelining the elected representatives or turn a platform for bashing of the elected councillors.
Even the MLAs, Digambar Kamat and Vijai Sardesai, who control the Margao Civic Alliance, which is ruling the Margao Municipal Council seemed to have no idea what the Chief Officer initiative is all about. Sources close to the MCA pointed out that the two MLAs too have no idea about the exercise, only hoping that the initiative does not end up giving a platform for the opponents to take potshots at the ruling body.
The Chief Officer’s meeting with the citizens is scheduled on Monday, June 20 at 4.30 pm.
A glance at the Chief Officer’s appeal to the citizens showed that the meeting has been called to discuss issues plaguing the city, including traffic management, solid waste management, scrapyards, abandoned vehicles lying in the city, besides issues pertaining to sanitation. The Chief Officer has invited prominent citizens of Margao, Fatorda and part of Curtorim to participate in his initiative in order to have a healthy discussion on the issues so that they may give their suggestions to overcome the issues faced by the Council.
The Chief Officer added: “Your valuable suggestions to this Council are appreciated to make the city clean and green, besides sustainable.”
Councillors in private pointed out that the City Fathers have not been taken into confidence by the Chief Officer on the issues plaguing the city. They further pointed out that the Chief Officer should have engaged with the elected councillors as well.
Independent councillor Mahesh Amonkar said the Chief Officer has taken a couple of good decisions since assuming office recently. He, however, said the Chief Officer should have taken the councillors into confidence on this citizens initiative. “We are told that the Chief Officer has asked for two volunteers from each ward. The people from the wards have elected the councillors last year to represent them in the civic body. We are confused about what exactly the Chief Officer initiative is all about,” Amonkar said.
Rohit Kadam had succeeded Agnelo Fernandes as the Chief Officer of the Margao Municipal Council last month. Since then, he has initiated a number of steps in the city, be it in stopping illegal vending in front of the comunidade building or to enforce hygiene at the Margao old bus stand playing host to the fast food kiosks.
