MARGAO
The taxpayers represented by the Shadow Council of Margao resorted to a sit-in dharna on the staircase leading to the building since both Chief Officer Y B Tawde and chairperson Babita Prabhudesai were conspicuous by their absence in the civic body. They have served a seven-day deadline on the civic body to roll back the fees or face action, including knocking the doors of the court for justice.
Hoteliers, small traders, bars and restaurant owners and other citizens joined hands as they all descended on the municipality to hand over a memorandum to the chairperson and chief officer. However, not finding the chairperson Babita Prabhudesai, vice-chairperson Doris Texeira and chief officer Y B Tadwe in their respective chambers, the protestors squatted on the staircase, refusing to withdraw till the chief officer or the elected representatives make their presence felt in the civic body. It was only after the chief officer Tawde arrived at the civic body that the protestors withdrew their sit-in dharna after handing over a memorandum. Tawde has promised to place the memorandum before the elected council for necessary action.
Hoteliers represented by C P Jaggi and others bitterly protested over what they termed as ‘steep fees’. Jaggi maintained that the municipality has levied the sanitation fees without any study or classification of the hotels.
Bars and restaurant owners also echoed similar sentiments. Reeling under the Supreme Court order banning bars within 500 metres from the national and state highways, the bars and restaurant owners said the huge annual sanitation fees running into thousands of rupees, from Rs 12,000 to Rs 54,000, will only force them to down their shutters.
Local activist Agosintinho Gama said the protestors had no option than to resort to an impromptu sit-in dharna in protest against the absence of the chief officer and the elected representatives. He said that Madgavkars will not sit quiet till the sanitation fees are rolled back immediately. Shadow Council of Margao convenor and former MMC chairperson Savio Coutinho said the implementation of the sanitation fees only exhibits a purely unjust mode of fleecing and extortion of money from loyal taxpayers.
