Majority of the ruling councillors slammed the Chairperson of Mapusa Municipal Council, Shubhangi Vaigankar for exceeding her brief and failing to take the council into confidence before giving a month’s extension to a garbage contractor involving a financial implication of Rs 10 lakh.
The door-to-door waste collection of Wards 1 to 10 was outsourced to a private contractor, the term of which was ending on August 28.
During the ordinary council meeting, the chairperson informed the council that since the term of the garbage contractor was ending and due to paucity of time, an extension of one month was granted to the contractor, for which the council will have to bear an expenditure of Rs 10 lakh.
Raising the issue of impropriety, Ward 14 Councilor Sainath Raul said the unilateral decision to extend the term of the contractor was undermining the authority of the council.
“How was the decision to grant a one-month extension involving Rs 10 lakh taken without informing the council? If we have to undertake development of even Rs 1 lakh in our wards, we have to table it before the council and get it sanctioned. Where is the sanctity of the elected body?” Raul questioned.
He said a common man cannot get a simple income certificate in the municipality if he does not produce the required documents but the chairperson has in one stroke taken a decision involving a financial implication of Rs 10 lakh without following proper procedure.
Trying to wriggle out of the situation, the chairperson said the engineering department had moved the note at the last minute and since it coincided with the Chaturthi festival, there was no way out and therefore she had to take the decision in the interest of the town.
Ward 20 Councillor Prakash Bhivshet also censured the chairperson for failing to follow procedures on crucial civic matters.
“We have no issues if you follow the laid down procedures while taking decisions in the interest of our town. Council is not your house where you can take decisions as and when you want. You need to follow the procedures,” Bhivshet said.
Ward 4 Councillor Sushant Harmalkar said that door-to-door garbage was not happening properly and therefore extending the contractor’s term was not appropriate.
MMC Vice Chairperson Chandrashekar Benkar said if the extension was not given then councillors of wards 1 to 10 would have to face the fury of the public.
After a lengthy discussion, the council decided to give a one month extension to the garbage contractor up to October 12.
