Goemkarponn desk
CANANCONA: Canacona Municipal Council newly elected chairperson Simon Rebello alleged in a recently held press conference that the ruling panel cannot get any developmental works done as neither the Chief Officer (CO) nor the other staff of the municipality are cooperating with them.
Rebello was speaking during a press conference held in a hotel in the outskirts of Chaudi in.
Its barely two months and while taking over as the chairperson of CMC, Rebello had promised that his tenure will see a people friendly administration and he will strive to usher in development not only in the wards of the ruling panel but in all the 12 wards of the municipality.
Rebello was more vocal while he levelled allegations against the present CO and the municipal engineer.
“The engineer is not doing estimates of the works proposed by the council, we asked him to do estimates for the works proposed in all the twelve wards, but after a few days he came up with estimates of a single work from only one ward, how we can work with this type of officers” Rebello fumed.
The press conference was attended by all the seven councillors of the ruling panel.
Rebello alleged that inspite of his efforts to move the files for works in the municipal areas, the files have been rejected citing unknown reasons to him, we are elected representatives of CMC, and we are the link between the residents of CMC and the officials, if these officers are not following our instructions how and what is the need to have a elected council he asked.
CMC had ten wards earlier and after the delimitation just before the elections, has twelve wards.
Even though there is a divide in the 12 member council with seven councillors supporting the ruling panel and five in the opposition, Rebello is keen towards the development of all the 12 wards.
With no cooperation from the municipal administration, Simon Rebello said that he fails to understand to know if there is some pressure on the CMC officials
to bring unnecessary obstructions in passing the files.
If the ruling council and the administration do not work hand in hand, than the development will hamper and the citizens will suffer by not getting services from the councillors said the chairperson.
When asked, Rebello informed that theirs is a BJP panel and they expect support from the party as well as the local BJP MLA to push for the development in the jurisdiction of CMC.
Rebello also informed that they were unable to get an appointment with the CM due to his busy schedule mainly due to Covid crisis in the state, he said that very soon he will place the difficulties faced by his panel with the BJP leadership in the state and the chief minister.
With the 7-5 divide in the BJP supported 12 member council, there now seems to be a conflict between the ruling and the administration which affect the CMC functioning fear the citizens of the municipal jurisdiction.
Ramakant Naikgaonkar former chairperson and present councillor of Chaudi ward went to the extent of threatening to withdraw the ruling panel as BJP panel.
“I am a BJP supporter and a member of the party since last 15 years and the party has to treat its senior members well” Naikgaonkar informed.
Tounge in cheek Naikgaonkar also added that he is also an aspiring candidate for the ticket of assembly elections which is not too far away.
Sara Naik Desai while criticising the officials of the CMC informed that the complain she made over the scams during the previous term are not investigated, she warned that she will drag the matter in court.
Present for the press conference were Chaudi councillor Ramakant Naikgaonkar, Mongon councillor and vice chairperson Amita Pagi, Devabagh councillor Sara Naik Dessai, Ponsulem councillor Narsisco Fernandes, Rajbagh councillor Chandu Ganesh Madgoankar and Palolem councillor Laxuman Pagui.
