Margao Municipal Council Chairperson Babita Angle Prabhudesai has said that sanitation fees worked out by the civic body are only tentative and will be implemented subject to Council’s approval.
MARGAO
Sources in the know, however, say that the Municipality has not mooted any relief for Madgavkars, whose premises are closed, despite assurances to the contrary from the City Fathers that such households need not pay the garbage collection fees. And, the Council has plans to bring government offices under the sanitation tax net, with a minimum charge of Rs 1,800 per annum and a maximum amount of Rs 4,200. Ironically, this Council has no data whatsoever, of government office premises in the city.
When The Goan drew the attention of MMC chairperson as to why there’s still no proposal to grant relief to household owners, whose premises are closed, as they would be liable to pay the sanitation tax without occupying the premises, she said the Municipality will not only be providing the services of garbage collection, but will be cleaning the drains as well as the roads. “This sanitation tax will go in for the garbage collection as well to keep the roads and drains clean. Our annual garbage bill runs into crores of rupees. We have to bridge the huge gap,” she said.
Saying that it would not be possible to keep a close track on closed premises, the MMC chairperson, however, said the civic body would get a fair insight into the issue once the Municipality conducts a survey of the city.
Former MMC chairperson Savio Coutinho, however, said the civic body ought to have honoured the promise to give benefits to the owners of closed premises. He also said it was seriously expected that the Council would get the sanitation fees at least on par with Panaji Corporation rates i.e. Rs 500 per annum.
“But the MMC appears to have not provided any relief to the residents of Margao city. Even the assurance on giving benefits to closed premises is forgotten completely,” he said, hoping that the Council would not let down the citizens at the time of giving its stamp of approvals for the fees.
He said the tentative rates worked out by the civic body shows there’s no relief to barbershops, saloons and SPAs, small tea-coffee shops, laboratories, banks, electronics shops, cinema, stadium as the rates remain the same. “The rates for the clinics appear conflicting. At one place the chart states that it will be on the basis of rates for shops. However, the categories as per area differ from each other,” he said.
Coutinho said the most interesting revision, is that of gaddas. “If one has a gadda licence and selling vegetables, fruits, rassa omlet, he pays Rs 3,600 per annum. But if you are conducting any other business other than the above, than you pay only Rs 1,800 per annum. In short, you sell ‘’flowers’’, mobiles, fast food or even a eatery, if you have a gadda licence, you pay only Rs 1,800 per annum. On the other hand, if you have a Horticulture vegetable gadda you have to pay Rs 5,400 per annum, but if you sell the same vegetables on a gadda you pay Rs 3,600,” he added.
