MARGAO
Two key ministers in the Pramod Sawant-led government, Urban Development Minister, Vishwajit Rane and Waste Management Minister Atanasio Monserrate will be descending in the commercial capital on Tuesday with the sole agenda of working out a solution to the Sonsodo imbroglio. Madgavkars and Fatordekars hope the visit of the ministers will not only address the Sonsodo issue, but also tackle the perennial issues plaguing the Margao Municipal Council and the South Goa Comunidade during their visit since the duo also preside over the TCP and Revenue portfolios respectively.
South Goa Administrator of Comunidade
State of Comunidade building: Once the seat of the Comunidades in South Goa, the office of the Administrator of Comunidade, South Goa is carving for attention for around half-a-decade now. The structural stability test report conducted by the Government College of Engineering, Farmagudi is gathering dust in the Comunidade office. Hopes raised by the report that the building can be renovated and restored with bare minimum funds have all been dashed off for want of proactive action by the government. A shareholder of the Margao Comunidade said Babush Monserrate, who holds the Revenue portfolio, would do great service to the institution of Comunidades if he also visits the Administrator of Comunidade building during his visit to Sonsodo.
Dividends: It’s now four years since the South Goa Administrator of Comunidades has not distributed dividends to the components till date. The components have been making petitions to the office of the Administrator of Comunidades, but in vain, which have left them to wonder why the dividends have not been paid to the components till date. “We only hope and pray that being the Revenue Minister, Monserrate take time off during his visit to Sonsodo and have a meeting with the Administrator of Comunidades to address the long-pending issue,” another shareholder said.
Inventory: Have the office of the Administrator of Comunidades carried out the inventory and maintained the records? Well, a shareholder has informed that the Information Commission way back in 2018 had recommended that the Office of Administrator of Comunidades, South Zone strictly comply to the provisions laid down in Article 133-140 of the Code of Comunidades. It’s now four years since the Information Commission had made the recommendation, but the ground reality hasn’t changed for the better. The recommendation was made since the general archives are not maintained by the Office of Administrator of
Comunidade South Zone.
Administration: Many a shareholder is looking forward for the intervention of the Revenue Minister to tone up the Comunidade administration. While the Administration of Comunidades is always presided over by an officer holding additional charge, shareholders pointed out that some of the employees have been working in the same office for over a decade now sans transfers.
Shareholders have also pinned hopes on the new Revenue Minister to find from the South Goa Comunidade Administrator the number of cases handled and disposed and the demolitions executed by the office.
Margao Municipal Council
Municipal building: The Portuguese-era over century-old Margao Municipal building has been craving for attention for around half-a-decade now for want of maintenance and funding. The paint has faded and the imposing building structure is craving for attention. It’s not clear whether Urban Development Minister Vishwajit Rane will take time off during his visit to Sonsodo and pay a visit to the Margao Municipal building for first-hand information on the state of affairs. Rane also holds the TCP portfolio, and it is not clear whether the TCP department has any project in mind to restore the Camara Municipal de Salcete building to its past glory.
Revenue recoveries: With the Margao Municipal outstanding tax arrears hovering to a whopping Rs 20 crore, it is not clear whether the Urban Development Minister and his director, Gurudas Pilarnekar has any plan to effect the revenue recoveries. In fact, former Urban Development Minister Francis D’Souza had once remarked that the Margao Municipality has the potential of becoming financially independent if the civic body take little trouble in effecting the recoveries.
Kabrastan: The long-pending and vexed issue of burial grounds for the city’s Muslim population has been awaiting a solution for years now. It’s a little over a decade now since the Margao Municipality had acquired land at Sonsodo to build a kabrastan. Sadly, the land has not only remained idle, but has kicked off a bitter row over the location of the burial grounds. Since Rane presides over both the portfolios of Urban Development and Town and Country Planning, the stakeholders have pinned hopes on the new minister to work out a solution to the impasse.
Audit: Strange it may seem, but true that the government has not conducted audit of the Margao Municipal accounts for the last four financial years. While the City Fathers have demanded that the government conduct the audit to verify the funds spent on the intended projects, Urban Development Director Gurudas Pilarnekar has maintained that the audit could not be carried out since the department has no wherewithal to conduct the gigantic exercise.
Parking lots: The Commercial capital is blessed with open spaces, which can be utilised for parking lots to resolve the burning parking issue. Margao Municipal Council’s ambitious parking project has hit a road block for want of contractors to execute the project. The MMC is now looking forward to execute the project either through the GSUDA or GSIDC to put the parking lots in place and address the burning issue.
