MARGAO
The Shadow Council for Margao have strongly criticized the Margao Municipal Council for allowing the “defaulting” Sopo Contractor to collect fees from traders around the city's jurisdiction inspite of the tenure expiring.SCM Convener Savio Coutinho stated that the term of the Sopo Contractor has expired on 31st March as such he has no authority to collect occupation fees.
"Merely taking a resolution does not authorize the Contractor to collect fees. A valid authority letter needs to be issued to the Contractor", Coutinho stated. In the present situation, there is no such authorisation letter issued to the Contractor, and the collection he has resorted to is absolutely illegal, Coutinho charged.
“We have already submitted representations to all the concerned authorities and we will do everything it takes to penalize the people responsible for causing immense losses to the public exchequer, he said, demanding that the Chief Officer immediately stop the Contractor from collecting the occupation fees, and forthrightly make arrangements to collect the fees departmentally.
