MARGAO
As the Bill proposing delimitation of municipal ward based on population could not be decided and approved in the recently held Assembly session cut short in view of the Model Code of Conduct, the government is likely to promulgate an Ordinance to ensure that population will form the basis of the delimitation of municipal wards ahead of the upcoming civic polls.
PWD Minister Digambar Kamat on Monday told the media that the government has decided to revert the ward delimitation criteria from voter-based to population as the percentage of voters is expected to go down after the SIR process.
“In the past, the criteria for the delimitation of wards was changed from population to voter-based. However, with the voter percentage expected to come down drastically post-SIR, the government has decided to revert back to population as the basis for ward delimitation”, he said.
Saying that the Bill seeking to revert the criteria from voter-based to population was scheduled to be taken up in the recently held Assembly session, Kamat said the government will come out with an Ordinance to give effect to the population-based ward delimitation criteria.
He further said that the number of Margao Municipal Council wards will be increased from 25 to 27 wards in the upcoming polls.
Asked on the controversy surrounding the sopo collection fees in Margao. Kamat said he has categorically told the Margao Chief Officer that no should be pay more and the contractor should not collect less than what is prescribed by the rules.
Referring to Gandhi market leader and former Dy CM Manohar Ajgaonkar’s opposition to the assessment of the market stalls, Kamat said that Ajgaonkar had called him to complain about the hike in sopo fees. “I had told that the best way to clear all issues is by carrying measurement of the stalls”, he said, adding that the MMC will have to initiate action if someone is obstructing to the exercise to measure the stalls.
