VASCO
With the staff on strike, a part-time chief officer and a newly appointed administrator, public works have come to a grinding halt at Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC).
While the regular chief officer went on leave, an additional charge of MMC has been handed over to Agnelo Fernandes, who is also the chief officer of Margao Municipal Council.
Fernandes has been able to visit Vasco only twice a week and as a result, several issues like personal hearings have not been conducted for quite some time.
The previous MMC administrator Gurudas Pilarnekar has been transferred and Raju Gawas is the newly appointed administrator but is yet to learn about the issues confronting the MMC.
To make matters worse, Gawas is helpless on seeking the required details as the MMC workers have been on strike since Monday.
Confusion has prevailed at the MMC, making it virtually impossible to get any work done in the council and all public works concerning MMC have come to a grinding halt.
While people visiting MMC for payments and other issues have been forced to go back since Monday, there is no check on encroachments in the markets due to the absence of municipal inspectors.
Several files have now been lying idle in the taxation and technical departments, while desks at various departments of the MMC have been empty since Monday morning.
With staff and workers on strike, maintaining cleanliness in the municipality has also come to a standstill.
Garbage collection from restaurants and day-to-day waste collection in the port town has come to a grinding halt.
Meanwhile, the striking MMC staff and workers have been getting support from union leaders and some political parties.
