MARGAO
The iconic Margao old bus stand resembled an eyesore, literally on Sunday, thanks to the apathy and indifference from the Margao Municipal Council.
Citizens approaching the district police headquarters and parents, who come to drop off and pick up their wards in the city schools, find the old bus stand in a messy state.
Sunday morning was no better. Otherwise, consider this. Fast food gaddas were all found parked around haphazardly when the owners are mandated to take the kiosks back home. Garbage was strewn around in the absence of bins at the bus stand. A couple of accident vehicles also lay parked at the stand with the Margao police insisting it has no other place to park the accident vehicles.
The moot question that has remained unanswered is why are the Margao municipal officials shying away from cracking a whip against the illegal parking of kiosks on the bus stand when the owners are required to take the structures back as per the license conditions.
The issue of fast food gaddas and the mode of disposal of their waste had recently found a mention at the first meeting of the Margao municipal sanitation meeting presided over by Chairman Camilo Barretto, wherein instructions were issued to the municipal market inspectors and sanitary inspectors to inspect the kiosks and find out the mode of waste disposal.
Questions, however, remain unanswered – why has the Margao municipality not placed waste bins at the Old bus stand, aware that the old bus stand now caters more to fast food kiosks than public transport?
A member of the sanitation committee wondered why the inspectors are acting like silent spectators if the owners are required to take the gaddas home after the business operations. “If citizens can see the sorry state of affairs at the old bus stand with the naked eye, how come the same has escaped the attention of the City Fathers, civic babus and the leaders controlling the civic body,” he questioned.
