the goan I network
PANAJI
While Atanasio Monserrate, who has 17 corporators in the Corporation, has decided to retain Surendra Furtado as the Mayor and Lata Parekh as the Deputy Mayor; sources in the BJP camp revealed that they are waiting for the Assembly poll results to be declared on March 11, after which a decision will be taken whether any of their corporators would be contesting the said election.
Speaking to The Goan, Monserrate said, “I want to retain the same people - Surendra Furtado as the Mayor and Lata Parekh as the Deputy Mayor. We want to go ahead with the projects that we have promised Panjimites in our election manifesto. And before these elections are held, results of the assembly elections will also be declared.”
Speaking further, he said, “As far as the Mayor is concerned, I have plans to keep him in that position for all five years. Changing the mayor every year does not benefit as far as the development is concerned. Secondly, no one else has come to me till now demanding both these positions. Both, the mayor and his deputy are doing an excellent job and almost all the corporators are happy with the same,” he said.
Monserrate said regular changing of the mayor and the deputy often hits the ongoing projects adversely and sometimes the projects come to a standstill. He said he wants the council to have stability and one way to do this is to ensure the Mayor has a long tenure where proper planning and execution of projects can be achieved.
However, when asked, Panaji Member of Legislative Assembly Sidharth Kuncalienker said he was unaware that the elections for the two top CCP posts were scheduled on March 15.
“I don’t know,” said Kuncalienker simply.
However, a BJP corporator said that if at all any of their councillors are interested in constesting for the Mayor’s post, all the decisions would be taken after the assembly results are declared on March 11, after the counting of votes.
“A lot depends on the assembly results to be declared on March 11. Once the results are out, we may set our agenda for the Mayor’s and the deputy mayor’s election,” said the corporator.
