MARGAO
Attention, Madgavkars. Have you come across garbage lying unattended at the city’s dark spots for hours or days, just click a photo and WhatsApp it to Margao Municipal Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes on 7030910926.
That’s not all. In times of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, the Chief Officer has requested citizens to use social media, including WhatsApp to lodge minor complaints or for solutions, promising that the complaints will receive prompt attention.
On revenue recoveries, the Chief Officer said that Margao Municipality is the richest Municipality and has appealed to Madgavkars to pay their house tax and other taxes like they pay the electricity and telephone bills.
It’s just a week now since Agnelo has succeeded Ajit Panchawadkar as the new Margao Municipal Chief Officer and he says that people have started sending him photos and complaints on his WhatsApp number 7030910926.
“I have constituted a waste management group in the Civic body. The moment I receive any photos of waste lying unattended at the black spots, the same is forwarded to this group, with a system that the supervisors will get back to me with a reply whether the problem is resolved or not”, he said, adding his WhatsApp number has already received around 30 photographs and complaints from citizens.
Saying that it’s COVID time and citizens hesitating to visit public places, the Chief Officer said that people need not visit the Municipal building, but can just WhatsApp their complaints to him. “The social media has made communication easy and people can avail the social media to file their complaints without visiting the Municipality building”, he said.
The Chief Officer said minor problems such as correction of birth records and income certificates can be resolved within three days, adding that the Civic body will soon implement the Time Bound Delivery Services for the benefit of the people.
Saying that revenue recovery is not a big problem, he said the solution lies in plugging the revenue leakages in the civic body.
“We have to be proactive to get the revenue. Public duty is to pay the taxes. They pay the power and telephone bills without fail. Similarly, citizens should pay the house tax and other taxes to the Civic body”, he added.
