MARGAO
Perhaps for the first time in the two-decade old history of the South Goa Zilla panchayat, a Zilla Panchayat member was in tears literally at the meeting of the district Panchayat body over what she claimed over pressure from an MLA to take up his work.
In fact, Poinguinim Zilla Panchayat member Shubona Velip was in tears when she was speaking at the ZP meeting held on Monday chaired by Chairperson Suvarna Tendulkar. She later told the media that Canacona MLA, and Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar is insisting that she take up a beautification work under her ZP funds. She has further claimed that Tawadkar tried to insult her by threatening to disqualify her from the Mahila Shakti Abhiyan.
"MLA Tawadkar insulted me by saying I should be disqualified from the Mahila Shakti Abhiyan. I fail to understand these insulting words from the MLA when Prime Minister Narendra Modi bats for Mahila Shakti”, she wondered.
When the media sought comments from Chairperson Survna Tendulkar to shed light on the row after a member broke down at the meeting, she has promised to find out from the member. Tendulkar, however, hastened to add that even though an MLA may insist on taking up any project under the ZP fund, it all depends on the sanction from the ZP member.
“Unless the ZP member gives the NOC, no project can be executed by the Zilla Panchayat in any constituency. In the instant case, if the ZP member is not in favour of the beautification work, the work will not be taken up by the ZP body”, Tendulkar added.
