By ROQUE DIAS | NT
MARGAO: Having vehicles first then the garage seems to be the mantra of the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) nowadays. The ‘A’ class civic body has 32 vehicles including the recently procured swanky car costing ` 17 lakh for the chairperson and in the next week, seven more would be added to this fleet, but all without a garage to shelter them.
In absence of a garage, these vehicles are either parked in the open at old market or in front of MMC building, leaving them exposed to the vagaries of the weather. As a result, some of these vehicles have corroded.
The costly vehicles purchased for the chairperson and chief officer also do not have the benefit of a shelter. They are parked in the open in front of the MMC building after duty hours.
Sources in MMC informed that there are two night soil tankers, one tipper van, five compactors, two tipper trucks, nine medium-sized trucks, three rickshaws, two vehicles for chairperson as on date (old and new), three Maruti vans, one vehicle for chief officer, one Bolero SUV for mechanical engineer, one vehicle for market inspectors, one recovery van and one ambulance. MMC will get 7 more rickshaws from GSUDA by next week.
“When we buy a car, we first think of a garage or shed. Then why these officials and elected representatives are not giving a thought to it? Are they insensitive because it is not their money that they are spending,” questioned Jonathan Da Silva, a conscious citizen.
This daily gathered that the civic body is lacking a garage to house its vehicles for the last two decades and none of the chairpersons in the past have made serious efforts to have a garage for the vehicles.
A small temporary shed at the old market and its adjoining open space is used as a parking area. This space, is however, not sufficient and theft-proof.
Sources in MMC revealed that the civic body has no immediate plans for having a garage even though a former chairperson had made some efforts to repair and extend the existing small temporary shed.
“I had initiated the proposal of extending the shed and an estimate of ` 2.5 lakh was prepared in 2010, but there was no support from the local elected representative,” alleged Savio Coutinho, former chairperson.
Chief officer Y B Tavde agreed that there is an urgent need for a garage. “We have identified land at two places for garage – one at old market, Margao and another at Sonsoddo. The issue will be discussed in the next council meeting,” the chief officer added.