CANACONA
With arrears mounting to Rs 2.08 crore, the Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) has now decided to take action against defaulters of various establishments/traders in the municipality.
The CMC, which is categorised as a B-Class municipal council, has to pay the salaries of its staff and has other expenses, but it has an outstanding of 2.08 crore due from various establishments and traders in the municipality.
The issue was discussed at length during the recent council meeting and councillors demanded stringent measures from the defaulting traders and establishments.
“The interesting part is that the municipal council is yet to receive rent of around Rs 48 lakh from the Directorate of Arts and Culture for running the government library in one part of the Portuguese-era municipal building, which has now been demolished for new Municipal Complex,” informed CMC Chairperson Ramakant Naik Gaonkar.
At a special meeting of the CMC, the councillors unanimously took a decision to recover pending taxes from citizens and traders in the municipality.
“Three years will be completed since the present council has been elected, and it should not be that councillors have to just to come and eat biscuits and tea at the council meetings,” remarked Councillor Pandurang alias Dhiraj Naik Gaonkar. “The municipal areas should be developed and we need funds for this. Take action against those who have not paid rent or various taxes. The recovery should be taken on very high priority,” he added.
Incidentally, CMC Chairperson Naikgaonkar informed that 28 shacks in the Canacona municipality area have not yet paid their fees, but they continue unhindered with their trade and do business without any issue.
“Their shacks will be sealed. Besides, among all the shops located at the KTC bus stand complex, only one shopkeeper is doing business with a trade license from the municipal council, while others have not obtained a trade license. A decision is taken in the municipal meeting that the shops of such traders will be sealed in the next fifteen days,” said the CMC chairperson.
It was also pointed out at the meeting that shops of the CMC have been taken on lease and sub-let to others at a monthly rent of Rs 20,000 and above.
The CMC chairperson informed reporters that the council has decided to take strict action against such shopkeepers. CMC Vice Chairperson Narcisco Fernandes, Councillors Sara NaikDesai, Amita Pagi, Supriya Desai, Hemant Naik Gaonkar, Laxuman Pagi, Shubham Komarpant, Gandesh Madgaonkar, Simon Rebelo, were present while the administration team was led by Chief Officer Madhu Narvekar, and Municipal Engineer Ankush Velip, Staff members/Accountant Namrata Desai, Bharti Madgaonkar, Santosh Komarpant were also present at the meeting.
