VASCO
Congress leader and former Chief Officer of Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC), Elvis Gomes on Sunday said that MMC should not set a wrong precedent by waiving dues to the tune of Rs 17 crores from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) owed to the council.Gomes in a press release said that MMC should instead use the amount for the welfare of the people of its jurisdiction.
Gomes also appealed to the councillors to first help the small shop owners who are lessees in the Market as well as council-owned buildings by reducing their overdues.
Gomes who himself had been a former Chief Officer of the council was reacting to reports of MMC seeking to partly waive HPCL dues which are overdue from the oil company.
He said that though he believes the council has the right to decide for itself, waiving dues owed to the council by a giant oil company that has delayed payments despite the occupation of huge tracts of land that belongs to the council should not be shown any leniency.
“Council is often in financial trouble unable to pay employees and pensioners in time with no funds for public welfare works. It should build up its financial position to take care of these things first,” said Gomes exhorting councillors not to fall into a trap of causing financial loss to the council to serve the interest of just one lessee.
“Serve the interest of your own people and free the land in occupation of oil companies as was the understanding when oil tanks were built at Zuarinagar and underground pipelines were allowed to be laid through the town,” said Gomes reminding the council that there was no reason for oil tanks to be there in the city anymore.
