MARGAO
As many as three social groups, including Shadow Council for Margao, Goa With Love and Citizens for Sonsodo on Tuesday came under the banner of Citizens Choice Panel for MMC to support 11 candidates for the ensuing polls.
Leaders of these groups have made a fervent plea to the people of Margao to reject the candidates fielded by the three MLAs and vote and elect the candidates supported by the Citizens Choice Panel for MMC.
Addressing the media along with the candidates, Shadow Council for Margao Convenor Savio Coutinho charged that the MMC has untrustworthy representatives, as such the issues plaguing the city continue to stand unresolved in spite of they being in power for decades together.
He appealed to Madgaonkars to outright reject the alliance panel of the three MLAs, as it stands confirmed that by hook or by crook they want to take control of the Margao Municipal Council to complete their double priced bio-methanation project and fleece the public exchequer.
Goa With Love founder Orlando Pacheco lamented that all their efforts to convince the previous council to see reason to attend to the issues plaguing the city failed. “They were just not interested in the city’s well-being, but all engrossed in running behind their personal interests,” Pacheco lamented.
Citizens for Sonsodo Secretary Roque Mascarenhas stated that after struggling for years and making representations to all authorities with regard to the Sonsodo issue, it was their petition to the High Court that eventually compelled the government to commence work on the legacy dump at Sonsodo.
Adv Seoula Vas called upon the people of Margao to shun political parties that are trying to dominate local body affairs and instead elect clean candidates.
The candidates announced by Citizens Choice Panel are: Mekanzie D’Costa (ward 1), Adv Seoula Vas (ward 3), Royston Gomes (ward 7), Manuel Oliveira (ward 9), Vlem Fernandes (ward 12), Fabian Coutinho (ward 15), Poma Kerkar (ward 20), Nadia Vaz (ward 23), Pritam Mortgikar (ward 24), Kulsum bi Shaik (ward 25) and an independent candidate in ward 13.
