MARGAO
As the Margao Municipal sopo contract has come under the scanner of the Director of Municipal Administration, sopo bidders called on the Margao Municipal Chief officer to find out the status of the bids called by the civic body last month.
One of the bidders Milagres Fernandes informed the Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes that the money deposited by the bidders, amounting to around Rs 1.80 lakh is lying with the civic body.
He demanded to know the decision taken by the civic body on the sopo contract, whether the Council would appoint a sopo contractor or will refund the money deposited with the civic body by the bidders.
Milagres later told the media that he had come to verify with the Chief Officer the status of the sopo contractor, which was abruptly cancelled by the Council without any rhyme or reason. “I brought to the notice of the Chief Officer that huge amount of the bidders is lying with the civic body. We also sought to know how the civic body would go about the sopo contract,” he added.
Chief Officer Agnelo later told the media that he has asked the Council to discuss the sopo matter at the May 2 meeting of the Council, especially when the Director of Municipal Administration has pointed out that the MMC cannot give waiver to the sopo fees without valid justification.
