CANACONA
From meetings to inspections and from interacting with people to deploying vehicles for specific purposes, Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) Chairperson Simon Rebello had a busy first day in office on Monday.
Despite being elected on April 1, his first day as CMC chairperson began only on Monday on account of an extended weekend from Good Friday to Easter Sunday.
“On Monday, I inspected the municipal fish market which is in extremely bad shape and engaged the JCB and Municipal Night Soil Tanker to ensure cleanliness in the area,” said Rebello, while speaking to The Goan.
After only a few minutes in his cabin, Rebello went to attend a meeting with health officials on the ongoing vaccination drive and dialysis facilities at the Canacona Community Health Centre.
After a lunch break, Rebello interacted with concerned citizens over CRZ issues on the municipal coast.
“My first day in office is very satisfying as I was able to be on the field more than just being in office. This is the goal I have set for the council and we want a visible change in the entire municipality,” said Rebello.
“We will also prioritise a few issues and cleanliness will be of prime importance. We have garbage problems in all 12 wards and we will have a cleanliness drive. We will inspect the Garbage Treatment Plant (GTP) at Dumane, which is of utmost importance if we are to achieve our goal of maintaining cleanliness in Canacona municipality.”
Rebello said he would also focus on better electricity and water supply in the municipality.
“There is a genuine concern due to land scarcity and fortunately, landlords are coming forward to offer their land to install transformers.”
“These improvements will be achieved in full cooperation with our local MLA and Dy Speaker Isidore Fernandes.
Stating the municipal vegetable market has remained the same since he had got it inaugurated at the fag end of his last term as chairperson which ended in November 2015, Rebello said he would prioritise completion of the project by allotting the idle shops in the complex.
It may be recalled that Rebello had led a 7-member faction by splitting from the 12 BJP-backed councillors in the council and after pressuring the Canacona MLA to support their group, went on to defeat the BJP-backed councillor Pandurang Naikgaunkar in the election to the chairperson’s post by 7-5 votes on April 1.
Rebello and his panel then met the BJP state leadership in Panaji later that evening, pledging their support to the BJP.
However, the faction courted controversy hours later when they met Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat at his residence in Margao on their return from Panaji, leaving many to speculate about the political affiliations of Rebello, especially since he was a former Congress leader in Canacona.
Rebello, however, was quick to downplay their meeting with Kamat and said his group was only affiliated to the Canacona MLA, the BJP party and the State government.
