Shadow Council for Margao Convener, Mr. Savio Coutinho, has criticized the government for its apparent neglect of the iconic Municipal building, suggesting a deliberate move towards the destruction of Portuguese-built structures. Mr. Coutinho expressed astonishment at the fact that the Municipal building, which houses over a dozen civil engineers responsible for scrutinizing plans and certifying building safety, is itself in disrepair.
“These engineers are involved in the approval of huge complexes and multi-storeyed buildings and some are even developers in pseudo firms. Yet, they fail to take measures to safeguard their own Municipal Council building,” Mr. Coutinho remarked, questioning whether their expertise is inadequate for maintaining their own premises.
Mr. Coutinho highlighted several instances where responsibilities have been shifted to other agencies:
- – Waste treatment is handled by the GWMC and the Cacora plant.
- – The multi-level parking facility project is managed by the GSUDA.
- – Development of the parking lot on Municipal land near KTC is undertaken by GSUDA.
- – The preparation of the Margao Master Plan is also entrusted to GSUDA.
- – Stray dog issues are managed by an NGO, with minimal cooperation from the Council.
- He lamented that the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) conveniently absolves itself from these issues, despite having a significant workforce and a monthly outgoing of nearly 2 crores. “If the Council cannot fulfill its primary obligations even with such resources, what is the use of the Council?” Mr. Coutinho questioned, noting the irony of the Council boasting about having a “double engine Sarkar” to back it.
