the goan I network
MARGAO
Why is the Margao Municipal Council shying away from taking a firm stand on the encroachments in the city passages and footpaths with the action of confiscating goods acting as no deterrent against unscrupulous shops and business establishments?
If successive Margao Municipal Councils have been wavering in taking the stand to auction goods seized in anti-encroachment drive to act as a deterrent, the present Council seemed no different. Hopes were raised earlier this month when Margao Municipal Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai and Chief Officer Siddivinayak Naik told the media that the Council would move to empower the Municipal administration to auction goods confiscated during anti-encroachment drives.
The Council meeting held on Monday did take a decision on arming the Chief Officer with more powers, but the decision fell short of the long standing demand to auction the goods seized in an anti-encroachment drive.
The resolution only empowered the Chief Officer to auction the confiscated goods only in the event the owners do not take possession of the goods within a certain time-frame. The resolution further empowered the Chief Officer to return back the seized goods by imposing a fine amounting to 25 per cent of the cost of the items.
In effect, what the Council has resolved is to continue with the practice of returning back the confiscated goods to the owners after levying 25 per cent fine and to go for an auction of the goods only in the event the owner does not take possession of the goods within a time-frame.
When The Goan questioned Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai whether the Council has developed cold feet in taking a decision to auction the goods when she had made it clear to the media earlier this month that the civic body would go for auction of the seized goods, she said the Council will again discuss the issue at the next Council meeting and take a firm decision.
“I am in favour of the Council taking strict action against the erring business establishments displaying goods in the passages and footpaths. The issue will be discussed at the next Council meeting wherein the proposal for the auction of the goods will be placed before the City Fathers,” she said.
Questions are raised in the corridors of the civic body whether the decision to auction the goods if the owner does not take possession of the confiscated goods within a time frame has any meaning when no owner will simply allow his goods to be auctioned by the civic body.
“We had heard a number of Municipal chairpersons and chief officers over the years, who had vowed not to return back the confiscated goods to the owners as a deterrent not to display the goods in public space and footpaths, but in vain. Since a decision not to return back the goods, but to auction them will have far reaching consequences, it requires a political will to take a firm stand,” remarked a civic official in the know.
