MARGAO
Congress-turned-BJP Margao MLA Digambar Kamat on Tuesday openly rooted for a restaurant on the top floor of the multi-level parking project proposed behind the Margao Municipal building.
What, however, has kicked up a row of sorts is that Kamat went a step further to say the restaurant plan has been shown to everyone, even as Margao Municipal councillors feigned ignorance of the restaurant plan being ever discussed with the City Fathers by the MLA or by the executing agency, Goa State Urban Development Agency.
That Kamat is firmly backing up the restaurant project in the proposed multilevel parking lot behind the Margao Municipal Council became evident on Tuesday after being questioned by the media on the project.
When a scribe asked Kamat to shed light on the proposed restaurant project in the multilevel parking project, a visibly agitated Kamat observed, “Will it make any difference if the restaurant is reserved on the top floor of the multilevel parking project. It will generate revenue for the civic body”.
He continued saying the demand for restaurant is growing in the commercial capital, indicating that the restaurant proposed has received his nod.
Margao Municipal Councillors in private, however, said neither the restaurant plan was ever discussed with the City fathers nor has the Council taken any decision in support of a restaurant on the top floor of the multilevel parking lot.
When The Goan called up a couple of City Fathers to shed light on the restaurant proposal being mooted in the multilevel parking lot, former chairperson Lyndon Pereira was quick to clarify that the Council had never made any proposal to the GSUDA to reserve space at the parking lot for a restaurant.
“The decision to hand over construction of the multilevel parking lot to GSUDA was taken by the Council during my stint as Chairperson. The Council had never resolved to reserve space at the multilevel parking lot for a restaurant,” Lyndon stated.
A couple of both ruling and opposition councillors further pointed out that neither the MLA nor the GSUDA has shown the City Fathers or discussed the restaurant proposal with them till date,
When asked when will the MMC take up the renovation and beautification of the Margao Municipal heritage building, Kamat said the MMC will soon write a letter to the GSUDA that the civic body would deposit money to take up the works. “In principle, GSUDA has agreed to take up the MMC building renovation work”, he added.
