MARGAO
The issue of parking rent-a-bike and private coaches in public places, especially near the KTC bus stand and around the Margao Municipal building has come to haunt the Margao civic babus.
The issue figured at an informal meeting of the councillors during discussion on parking of private buses on GSUDA land near the KTC bus stand. Chairperson Lyndon Pereira informed the councillors that waste collected from the roadsides, besides bushes cannot be dumped on the GSUDA land as parked private buses make it inaccessible for the municipal trucks to enter inside the property.
He informed that though the civic body has made space inside the GSUDA to dump the waste, the presence of private buses right at the entrance of the property has stopped Municipal vehicles from dumping the waste.
Councillors wanted to know how 30-40 buses could just be parked in public spaces when they are supposed to operate from the offices or residences.
Similarly, the councillors pointed out that the number of rent-a-bike and rent-a-car businesses have increased in the city, with these vehicles found parked around the Municipal building as well as on other open spaces.
A Councilor demanding to know what right the owners of the rent-a-bike and rent-a-car have to park their vehicles in public space when rules mandate them to operate from their offices or residences.
Taking cognizance of the sentiments of the city fathers, Chairperson Lyndon assured that he would write to the Margao Traffic Cell in-charge, PI Gautam Solanki to crack the whip on rent-a-car and bike parked in open spaces.
In the meanwhile, MMC Chairperson Lyndon Pereira along with a group of councillors descended on the GSUDA land near the KTC bus stand to discuss the issue of unloading waste in the property and ensure that the owners do not block the Municipal trucks from entering the site.
Lyndon informed that the delegation made the bus owners to see reason and impressed upon them to allow the Municipal vehicles to enter the GSUDA property for the unloading of daily waste.
Verbal spat between CO and
Councillor over garbage issue
MARGAO: The garbage issue brought Margao Municipal Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes and city father Damu Shirodkar brought face to face on Friday.
Both the councillor and the Chief Officer were engaged in heated exchanges when Damu threatened to dump the waste accumulating on the Ring Road outside the residences of the Chief Officer and the Municipal Engineer.
Taking strong exception to the threat by the councillor, the Chief Officer told Damu not to stoop to personal level, saying he has no right to unload the waste near his residence.
Damu later told the media that he held out the threat to lift the accumulated waste along the Aquem Ring Road and dump it near the residences of the Chief Officer and the Municipal Engineer, blaming the duo for causing inordinate delay in clearing the mess.
“I had no option than to hold out the threat since the Municipality has not acted for the last one month to clear the accumulated waste. The Chief Officer is only signing the files and has no control over his subordinates and the staff in general”, he said, adding while underscoring the need to tone up the administration.
