Margao the commercial and cultural centre of Goa is
once again in the news -- and for the wrong reasons.
After the lowest ever victory margin 1366 odd votes
the three term (now fourth term) MLA Margao Mr
Digamber Kamat of INC, the revenge game has started.
The first victim is the Chairperson Margao Municipal
Council Ms Kamalini Poinguinkar -- who was considered
as the de facto "dumb doll" of Mr Kamat. She was
propped up by Mr Digamber Kamat so that his writ could
run large in the affairs of the Council. Her survival
was owing to his backing.
But suddenly the friends turned enemy the "suffocating
theory" which led to Kamats resignation from the BJP
was too suffocating for Ms Poinguinkar and her three
other Councillors Mr Rupesh Mahatme, Mr Durgadas
Prabhu, Mr Narayan Fondekar to swallow and another
councillor of Ward 15 who now appears neutral.
Ms Poinguinkar and the others worked day in and day
out to see to the defeat of Mr Kamat and eventually
succeeded in giving him a humiliating victory margin
for a three times veteram MLA given that his opponent
Sharmad Raiturkar of BJP 29 yrs was a novice unknown
in public circles but yet gave Mr Kamat a run for his
re-election for the fourth term now.
Ms Poinguinkar has therefore decided to resign
tommorrow before the non confidence motion against her
is taken up for consideration by the Council . The
term of the Council began on 24th October 2001.
But citizens of Margao who this writer contacted were
of the view that the Council is in a mess. With over
1700 letters received in a month it speaks volumes for
the state of affairs in Margao. Besides this Ms
Poinguinkar does not read English and needs the
assistance of others to understand the nitty gritty of
Council management. Politically though she is a
veteran politician being earlier an office bearer in
the MGP and later switching over to BJP.
Ironically of the four aspirants to the Chairperson
post in the resultant vacancy will be Ms Ethel Lobo
the ex Vice Chairperson who resigned in a huff
earlier, before she was almost ousted over the Gandhi
market issue. Councillors Ms Monica Dias, Ms Dorris
Texeira, and the Independent candidate Ms Auda Viegas
otherwise the President of the Bailancho Ekvott who
has been testing unsucessfully political waters under
the MGP for the Assembly elections in May 2002 and the
Lok Sabha elections as UGDP member in May 2004 and
next time may be INC or BJP if not Janata Dal(S).
Both Ms Ethel Lobo and Ms Auda Viegas known as
firebrand Councillors who take the Council to task on
several issues collectively went hammer and tongs over
against Ms Kamilini Poinguinkar and also Mr Digamber
Kamat MLA Margao (BJP) then the Power & Urban
Development Minister (under which Ministry
Municipalities come under) regarding the pathetic
civic situation in Margao viz
a) Unhygienic Gandhi Market,
b) slums in Fakirband Khareaband Babu nagri
c) encroachment on pavements and public streets by
unauthorised hawkers and hand cart mobile eateries
d) undisposed garbage near Police Station and other
areas
e) stray dog menance
f) eatery in the passage at Old Market
g) incompetence of the Chairperson
h) unclean storm drains in Margao ( from Old Market to
Khareaband)
k) ill managed garden and Prince Aga Khan park
l) petrol pump shifting to decongest city
m) traffic chaos in ward XIV (ward represented by ms
Veigas)
n) frequent power break downs
o) burial grounds for parishioners of Our Lady of
Grace Church and for Moslems
Though none of these issues remained solved despite Mr
Kamats alleged concern and assurances to develop
"Modganv" and "Modganvkars" (refer to his past
manifestos the same issues repeated ad nauseaum )it
was surprising to see that Council activity came to a
stand still and both these two Councillors were
actively canvassing since April May for the election
and victory of Mr Digamber Kamat ---forgetting the
hoary past -- issues that plagues the city the
fulcrum of business activity for the entire South Goa
District especially Salcete.
It is not clear who will take the Chairperson seat but
since the same is reserved for a women Mr Kamat now
that he is in the INC will opt for Ms Dorris Texeira a
first time councillor the spouse of ex Councillor Mr
Johnny Texeira of the Khareaband ward (incidentally Mr
Kamat polled a significant number of votes from this
booth this bye election).
But this may not be taken kindly to by the other
aspirants viz Viegas, Lobo, Dias and citizens believe
that the game of musical chairs will begin shortly.
Incidentally of the present eight wards in Margao and
eight wards in Fatorda total 16 wards that constitute
the Margao Municpal Council, two wards from Margao
will shift to Fatorda Assembly Constituency and the
other to Curtorim Assembly Constituency come
delimitation or Assembly elections in May 2007.
Therefore Mr Kamat as MLA Margao would need to address
his concerns to only the 6 wards of his Margao
Assembly Constituency, and may chose a Chairperson who
will do his bidding.
It would therefore be advisable most citizens feel
that the Council be dissolved and placed under the
rule of Administrator as it is nearing term end, and
Municipal affairs cannot suffer any longer.
As it is the Builders lobby would welcome such move
and for the citizens there is a pending demand of the
citizens to introduce the Common cadre for the
Municipal staff nearing 270 as presently none of the
unionised staff listen to the dictates of the
Councillors as their services are non transferable to
other Council and hence they consider Councillors are
passengers waiting for the next train -- ie they come
and go but they stay until superannuation.
The Council is also plagued with numerous cases in the
Court and the two persons granted extension a
Draughtsman until May end and another Municipal
Engineer until June end may be given an extended term
by the new regime in governance in the State much
against the wishes of the citizens of Margao
Municipality which has become the bedrock of
corruption and lackadaisical attitude towards its
citizens
GODFREY J I GONSALVES
BORDA MARGAO GOA
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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