MAPUSA
Carnival festival is good one week away but allegations of irregularities and corruption started flying thick and fast in the meeting to elect sub-committees in Mapusa Municipal Council.
The opposition group led by councillors Shashank Narvekar and Komal D’Souza slammed the ruling side for indulging in highhandedness by trying to force certain individuals to dictate terms to the elected members of the carnival committee.
The opposition-backed councillors got agitated after former chairperson Michael Carrasco, who is the joint secretary of the Carnival committee, started to address the meeting to elect the sub-committees, which should have been done by councillor Kayle Braganza who is the General Secretary of the Carnival Committee.
“We have nothing personal against the former chairperson. But why should he take over the role of spearheading the festival organisation when the Mapusa Municipal Council has duly elected Kayle as the General Secretary? We want her to conduct the meeting and appoint the sub-committees and run the entire show,” Narvekar said, backed by councillors Komal D’Souza and Anand Bhaidkar.
The bone of contention was the release of the Mapusa Carnival logo by joint secretary Michael Carrasco before the meeting of the sub-committees.
“When the programme sub-committee is yet to be nominated how the poster of ‘Mapusa Masquerade’ can be released?” questioned D’Souza and disclosed that Kayle Braganza was not even contacted once.
Narvekar questioned how the names of three private companies were incorporated on the poster without taking the carnival committee into confidence.
“Why no short tenders have been called,” he asked.
Later, Kayle Braganza was asked to take over the charge and appoint/select members for various sub-committees.
After discussion the following persons were appointed as chairperson of various committees “ Komal D’Souza (Programme committee), Remy Rodrigues (Floats committee), Denicka D’Mello (Reception committee), Shashank Narvekar (Publicity committee) and Ashirwad Korjuvenkar (Infrastructure committee).
After the meeting, Narvekar told the media that in the past the Carnival used to be vibrant and a lot of people used to spontaneously participate in the festival.
“In the last 10 years the chairpersons and councillors of the ruling side of BJP have turned this event into a private event. Money was getting siphoned off by producing bogus bills,” he alleged.
He said there is no problem in appointing an event management firm but ensure that proper procedures are followed.
“We will not tolerate any irregularities. This is a public event which involves public money. There is a big question when private companies are appointed without calling for short tenders,” Narvekar opined.
He said they started publicity of the Carnival festival some days back but the publicity committee has been appointed today.
