MARGAO
When this question was posed to Urban Development Minister Francis D’Souza during his visit to the city here on Tuesday, he said that he has personally discussed the matter with Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar to appoint a successor to Gomes. “Yes, it’s now a fortnight since Gomes had retired from government service, but the post of the DMA has been lying vacant. I had discussed the matter with the CM. May be the replacement has not come immediately as the government machinery preoccupied with the ensuing BRICS summit,” D’Souza said.
He admitted that in the absence of a full-fledged DMA, the affairs of the Urban Development Ministry are expected to slow down, further admitting that the link officer, who happens to be the
Panchayat Director is busy with panchayat affairs.
Sources in the know said that the Director of Municipal Administration not only presides over the affairs of the Urban Development Ministry, but also holds the post as Member Secretary of the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA).
Official in the know pointed out that a link officer, who is presiding over the the affairs of the panchayat bodies, may not do justice to this post, which is expected to
take charge of the urban civic bodies.
