Photo caption.
MMC Chief Officer Sidhvinayak Naik entering the Margao Municipal Council building with police protection followed by a group of citizens and activists. Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Margao Municipal Council Chief Officer Sidhvinayak Naik on Thursday entered the municipality with police protection as a group of citizens and activists waited to question him on a host of issues, including the allegations that he called a citizen a terrorist.
During the meeting, the chief officer maintained that no one can enter his office without unveiling his or her identity, adding that he has now introduced a system, wherein one has to send a slip before a call for a hearing.
When the media later asked the chief officer whether he had called a citizen a terrorist, Naik replied back saying that his chamber is also a public place and no one can enter inside without producing his identity. "One cannot enter my office saying he has come with a councillor. Even an ex-councillor has visited my chamber after sending a visitor’s slip," he said.
Asked to shed light on the illegal construction going on at Aquem near the railway station side, Naik said that though his office has received a complaint, there’s no supporting evidence to substantiate the claim. “Hence, we are trying to verify the claims made in the complaint. We do not want to act in haste and repent later. This is going to be my approach when it comes to public grievances," he said.
Replying to a question, he said that since the citizens have suggested morning hours for meeting the public, he is thinking of fixing two hours between 10 am to 12 noon for the public.
On the non-availability of birth certificates on time, the chief officer said that since people from all over the State come to Margao for a birth certificate, the civic body cannot handle the work load for want of manpower and the fact that municipal staff has been requisitioned for other duties.
“I approached the Margao police for protection as a matter of caution," he said, while thanking the Margao PI C L Patil for providing police protection.
******
Sewerage work between Aquem-old Chowgule college to start today
MARGAO: Work on the long pending demand for a missing sewerage link between Santosh Garage, Aquem and old Chowgule college will finally get underway from Friday.
Addressing the media, two-time Margao Municipal Council councillor Tito Cardozo said the work has been pending since past many years though the PWD had laid internal sewerage connection at the stretch. “The issue has been resolved due to the intervention of Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai since work will now begin on the missing link from Friday," he told the media after the area was inspected by Sardesai, Ganashyam Shirodkar and others on Thursday.
