MARGAO
Citizens, under the banner of "Citizens and Taxpayers of Margao” will hold a protest on April 9 in front of the Margao Municipal Council building against the hike in fees.
The protest is being held with the twin demand for the rollback of they termed as unjustified huge hike, and the refund of the extra money collected from the public from 2nd April till date.
Citizens have called upon all the taxpayers, irrespective of their political affiliations to join the protest in large numbers, to protest against the falsehood of the Council.
The citizens have charged MMC Chairperson Damodar Shirodkar for attempts to mislead the public, by claiming that people are happy with the hike, and hence are paying their dues.
Citizens condemned the Council Chairperson for the white lie, that the trade license fees have not been hiked for the last 10 to 15 years; while the receipts in possession of the traders very clearly suggest an annual hike of 10%, and hence this additional financial burden was uncalled for, they said.
Clifford Dias said that the people of Margao have not heard the powers that be utter a single word on the 18 lakhs fraud and its recovery, while Adv. Snehal Onskar stated that the Council should focus on the revenue collection from untapped sources of revenue instead of punishing the loyal taxpayers.
Andrew Sequeira called upon the MMC Chairperson Damodar Shirodkar to meet the protesters and explain how the hike was marginal, and doesn't affect the common man.
The citizens and taxpayers condemned the Council by claiming that the hike was a fraud upon the taxpayers, as the rate's fixed are not as per the resolution taken by the Council at its meeting on 27th February.
