MARGAO
They slog on the ground, traverse across the length and breadth of the Municipal wards in their respective fiefdoms, as they seek votes for their candidates during door-to-door campaigning as if they are fighting an Assembly election.
In fact, the MLAs project themselves as the face of the election panels, leave nothing to chance to get members of their panels elected in a bid to wrest control over the Margao Municipal Council.
That’s not all. They play a key role in getting their henchmen and cronies elected on the hot seat of Municipal chairperson, and play their role in arranging hotel stays to keep poaching at bay. And, when their candidates make it to the hot seat, they would personally make their presence felt at the Municipal building to congratulate the new civic chief.
However, one often comes across a oft-repeated question from Madgavkars and Fatordekars in the Margao Municipal corridors and outside “ what stops Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and his Fatorda counterpart Vijai Sardesai or for that matter Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco from attending the meetings of the Margao Municipal Council when the law bestows on them the right to associate at the Council meetings?
This question is often a subject matter of debate, with questions being raised in many quarters whether the MLAs think their role ends the moment the people of Margao and Fatorda elect the panels floated by the MLAs, culminating in the election of the new civic chief?
Or, whether the MLAs are content in exercising the remote control, with opponents charging the MLAs for participating in the decision making process behind closed doors sans accountability and responsibility.
Consider this: When a notice of the Margao Municipal Council is issued by the civic chairperson, the meeting notice would unfailingly go to the MLAs of Margao, Fatorda and Curtorim with a request to attend the meeting as per the provisions of Section 9A of the Goa Municipalities Act, 2968.
In fact, no meeting notice would go out from the office of the municipal chairperson without the notice being addressed to all the Councillors as well as the MLAs having jurisdiction over the Municipal area.
Take note, Section 9A of the Goa Municipalities Act speaks of the “right” of the MLAs to associate at the meeting of the concerned Municipal Council. The section further bestows on the MLAs the right to take part in the proceedings of the Council though they have no right to vote.
The ground reality, however, is totally different. In fact, local MLAs staying away from the Margao Municipal Council meetings has become a norm than an exception in Margao over the years. If sources are to be believed, the last time an elected MLA had participated at the Margao Council meeting was over two decades ago when then Fatorda MLA late Luis Alex Cardozo had made his presence felt at the Council hall.
Incumbent MLAs, Cong-turned-BJP MLA Digambar Kamat and Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai have been conspicuous by their absence at the council meetings over the years, even though the duo have been in control of the civic body over the last decade and half.
