MARGAO
Margao Sopo contractor had the last laugh as the ruling Margao Municipal Council city fathers led by Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai openly batted for him by awarding him a month’s extension without waiting for Chief Officer Johnson Fernandes’ say to find out whether the civic body has the means to collect the Sopo departmentally.
In fact, while the opposition councilors led by former Vice-chairperson Doris Texeira insisted with the Chairperson and her ruling group to take the Chief Officer’s opinion whether the municipal administration has the means and wherewithal to collect the sopo departmentally, Babita and councilor Rupesh Mahatme made it quite clear to the opposition that the meeting is being presided by the Chairperson and not by the Chief Officer, sending a clear signal that the CO has no role to play in deciding the issue.
No sooner the Sopo issue came up for discussion, councilor Doris sought to know why the council had to wait till the last minute to float a new tender or to extend the existing contract by a month. While Chairperson Babita attributed the delay to the lapse on part of the civic body, she, however, asserted that in the past too extensions were given to the contractor by a month or two in the event of delay to float a new tender.
Councilors Avinash Shirodkar and Raju Shirodkar also joined the debate by seeking to know why the council was slow in finalizing a new contract for the new financial year. Doris, Raju and Avinash along with councilor Manoj Masurkar made a strong case for the collection of
the Sopo departmentally for one month, while opposing any attempt to extend the
contract.
Councilor Arthur D’Silva demanded to know whether the MMC officials and staff are incapable of collecting the Sopo, even as the opposition demanded to give a chance to the CO to prove the council’s capability.
When Doris asked the Chairperson to allow the CO, who was seating besides Babita, to clarify on the administration’s capability to collect the Sopo departmentally, the Chairperson put the matter for voting, wherein the ruling councilors voted for the extension of the contract with a 25 per cent hike till the finalization of the new contractor.
