One Chief Officer for two A-class civic bodies, admin work suffers

MARGAO 
Strange it may seem, but true that two class-A municipalities – Margao and Mormugao, are being managed by a lone chief officer, hampering the day-to-day functioning of these civic bodies for want of a government back-up plan.

Take note that the Margao Municipal Council Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes has been asked to hold additional charge of the Mormugao council for a full one month, raising questions how a single officer can do justice to his job when he has been left with no option but to officiate as the Chief Officer of two class A municipalities.

And, the result is there for all to see. The Margao municipality Chief Officer shuttles between Margao and Vasco every day, devoting half a day in one municipality before moving to the other in the evening session.

Given that the Chief Officer enjoys quasi-judicial powers, sources expressed concern that hearings in respect of quasi-judicial proceedings may be affected if the Chief Officer is made to shuttle every day between Margao and Vasco. 

“As it is, both Margao and Mormugao are class-A Municipal bodies, having a good amount of workload. This is totally unacceptable as the incumbent Chief Officer will have to do the running around for a full month”, remarked a Margao civic official.

Trouble began when the incumbent Mormugao municipality Chief Officer proceeded on leave on January 11 and is likely to resume duties only on February 13. 

In fact, it’s over a week since the Margao municipal Chief Officer has been shuttling between Margao and Vasco to ensure that there’s no paralysis of the municipal administration at Mormugao.

Sources in the know informed that the government has put a system in place wherein the Chief Officers of Margao and Mormugao are designated as link officers, implying that they automatically take charge of these civic bodies if one of them proceeds on leave.

Officials pointed out that this mechanism was put in place as a stop-gap arrangement by the government to ensure there’s no paralysis of the administration. 

Officials, however, said this system was put in place to ensure there’s no vacuum owing to the absence of the Chief Officer, for a brief period and not for a full month.

“It’s surprising that the government nor the Director of Municipal Administration has intervened and ensured that a full-fledged Chief Officer is appointed as the Mormugao Municipal Chief Officer. This is all the more surprising when the Urban Development Minister Milind Naik hails from Mormugao,” remarked another official.