NT NETWORK
VASCO
The chairperson of Mormugao Municipal Council Deepak Naik said that the council would soon receive salary grants of Rs 5.69 crore from the state government, which would be beneficial in disbursing salary of municipal workers.
Naik was addressing a press conference in the presence of deputy chairperson Shashikant Parab at his chamber on Friday evening.
He said that the state government has sanctioned grants of Rs 1.10 crore which will be utilised for the purpose of desilting drains and wells in all the 25 wards.
He opined that the issue pertaining to the salaries of around 400-odd workers has been resolved on Friday and the strike called by the workers has been cancelled. He said that he had requested the government to sanction Rs 10 lakh each for all the 25 councillors so that they can take up development work in their respective wards.
“The list of proposed development works has been finalised with the consent of the councillors,” he added.
He said that the council has completed 70 per cent work of feeding the records on house tax, trade licences and other licences in order to provide online facilities to the people.
“The online system will be introduced very soon after feeding all the data,” he added.
He said that the MMC is also making efforts to start the reconstruction work of the fish market.
“The re-tendering of commercial project, which would be taken up by utilising the Golden Jubilee funds, will be held for the 7th time. And, I have full confidence that this time the work of the proposed project would begin,” he added.
He said that the rent issue of the shopkeepers and the municipal tenants will be resolved soon.
The MMC chairperson said that the present council is stable and strong and there are no conflicts among the councillors.
“During the last seven months, I have made sincere efforts to run the administration smoothly by recovering the tax and fee arrears with the help of councillors and the municipal staff,” said Naik.
He said that during the last seven months, the council has recovered Rs 2.73 crore of the total Rs 12 crore outstanding dues.
He also said that the council will clear the backlog in terms of recruitments.
He disclosed that the posts of lower division clerk, tax collector besides accountant and others, a total of around 29 vacancies, will be filled in some days with the approval of director of municipal administration.
He maintained that the council is eyeing octroi revenue which has been not paid by the state government for the year 2015-16 and 2016-17.
“Earlier, the state government had paid octroi of Rs 1.75 crore for the year 2014-15,” stated Naik.
MMC chairperson has threatened to stop coal/coke transportation if it is found to be causing air pollution.
“I have asked the chief officer Deepali Naik to direct the coal handling companies to submit report of readings of air pollution and incase the pollution is found beyond the permissible limits, then I will come out on the streets alongwith the people of Vasco, stopping the trucks which are transporting the coal/coke consignments from the town roads,” added Naik.
He said that he will convene a joint meeting of the traffic and RTO authorities in Vasco to issue directions to the transporters and operators who are involved in transporting coal/coke consignments.