Many people eke out a living by plying them, say councillors
Margao: In a five hour-long meeting held on Friday, councillors of the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) collectively resolved to oppose the state government’s decision of scrapping 15-year-old vehicles in Goa.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-backed council opined at the ordinary meeting of MMC that
the government should instead increase the fees taken by the transport department for the issuance of green card for the 15-years-old vehicles.
Proposing the resolution, councillor Sadanand Naik said many vehicles are well maintained by the vehicle owners. “It is a wrong decision taken by the government. Many eke out a living by plying such vehicles for commercial use. They may not be in a position to afford a new vehicle,” he said.
“If the government is so concerned about the increasing pollution, then it should check the engines and the fuel of the vehicles to know about the source of the pollution. Scrapping such vehicles will not serve the purpose. Instead, the decision will boomerang on the government ahead of the Lok Sabha polls,” Naik said.
All the councillors present at the meet supported the cause and collectively adopted the resolution, which was moved while discussing MMC’s vehicles, which are over 15 years old.
A resolution was also adopted at the meet to increase the fees for the issuance of residence certificate. Citizens will now have to pay `500 for obtaining a residence certificate and `100 for a character certificate.
The civic body also decided to charge fees of `1,000 per day for the illegal trade being carried out on vehicles after taking legal opinion.
Chairperson of MMC Damodar Shirodkar deferred the decisions pertaining to increase in rent of commercial premises, signboard fees, permission for erecting temporary pandals and other items reportedly following an outcry by citizens a day before the meeting.
Chaos was witnessed at the meet over the issue of supplying plastic bags and bins to the door-to-door waste collecting agency.
Grilling the chairperson over the issue, the councillors asked him why the supply of the bins and plastic bags was stopped. The chairperson pulled up the municipal administrative staff for the delay in purchase of the items despite the related file being cleared.
The councillors resolved to approach the Supreme Court praying for permission to register the BS4 model trucks with the transport department. It was also resolved to make use of the e-rickshaws for washing of the waste collecting vehicles at the Sonsoddo site, as the e-rickshaws have failed to serve the purpose for which they were purchased.
Councillor Ghanashyam Shirodkar demanded reshuffling of the staff working in the birth and death registration section, as he said citizens have complained about the staff. He also urged for the constitution of an appellate authority in case the registrars appointed and deputed at the MMC by the State Registrar did not work satisfactorily.