the goan I network
MARGAO
Margao Municipality’s young lady chairperson, Pooja Naik formally began her innings in office on Monday trying to get a hang of the issues, including the burning garbage issue, an anti-plastic drive and disclosed plans to put a system to give relief to Madgavkars in particular and Saxttikars in general standing in serpentine queues to lay their hands on birth certificates.
Assuming office on Monday as Margao Municipal Council’s 28th chairperson, three days after she was elected on Friday in a battle that went down to the wire, Pooja got down to business, clearing routine correspondence, and discussing administrative matters with the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the municipal chairperson.
City Fathers belonging to her group, including Angelis Pereira, Lyndon Pereira, Jose Fernandes and others were all spotted seated in the chairperson’s chamber as the young civic chief began her stint in office.
After the huge queue of citizens lining the births and deaths section attracted the attention of the new civic chief, Pooja discussed the matter with the administration, trying to explore the possibility of allowing two lines, one each for males and females.
“I saw with my own eyes, how both males and females stand in a single line to lay their hands on the birth and death documents. I just discussed with the administration whether we can allow two separate lines for the males and females,” she said.
Taking cognizance of the complaints from City Fathers that labourers are not made available in the wards to attend to emergencies, the new Chairperson sat with officials manning solid waste management to find out whether a special gang of labourers can be formed to attend to emergencies.
She took stock of the manpower availability in the Civic body and how to go about forming a special team only to attend to emergencies.
Given that the garbage issue is expected to come up for hearing, both in the High court as well as the South Goa district Court later this week, the new Chairperson took stock of the situation ahead of the legal battle.
She is believed to have told her colleague councilors that she would personally attend the hearing in the district Court on November 27.
That’s not all. The new chairperson inquired with the office administration the status of the anti-plastic drive undertaken by the civic body, indicating that the new Chairperson has drawn up plans to take the anti-plastic exercise to the logical conclusion.
“I have checked up with the office the status of the anti-plastic drive, especially the drive launched by the MMC on the ban on use of single use plastic,” she said.
Soon after she won the election for the post of MMC Chairperson, Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai had suggested that the new Chairperson should start the day early by taking a round of the city.
Pooja disclosed plans to put a mechanism in place, wherein messages go to the field workers as and when the chairperson comes across uncollected garbage in
the city.
Pooja succeeds Babita Angle Prabhudesai, also aligned to the Goa Forward party, who had occupied the MMC chairperson’s chair for four years before preferring to quit over the issue of the installation of the statue of Jack Sequeira at the Ravindra Bhavan traffic circles and naming the Fatorda road after former Chief Minister Manohar
Parrikar.
