Protesters gather outside MMC building, demand rollback in steep hike
Madgavkars and Fatordekars protested in front of the Margao Municipal building demanding a roll back in what they termed as steep hike in taxes and fees.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Margao municipal taxpayers have threatened a civil disobedience movement if the Margao Municipal Council fails to heed their protests and roll back the steep hike in taxes and fees.
The Congress and Goa Forward extended their support to the tax payers as they assembled in front of the Margao municipal building to demand the roll back.
Questioning the rationale behind effecting the steep hike in the fees, the tax payers directed their tirade against the civic chief Damu Shirodkar for dismissing the claims that the hike is not more than 20 per cent. The protesters claimed that the hike in fees is as high as 550 per cent in a couple of cases, accusing the civic chief for misguiding the people.
They demanded that the MMC should plug the revenue leakage running into crores of rupees instead of overburdening the tax payers.
They also demanded to know the steps initiated by the Municipality to recover the Rs 18 lakh which were embezzled by a Municipal employee at the Old Market feast fair. They also demanded to know the status of the recovery of revenue from the sopo contractors, and the rent from the petrol pumps operating from Municipal property.
Threatening to continue the agitation till the MMC withdraws the hike, the protesters warned of a civil disobedience movement by not paying the taxes and fees levied by the civic body.
Goa Forward Party General Secretary Mohandas Lolienkar demanded that the hike in trade licence fees, transfer charges and other taxes imposed by the MMC from April 1 should be immediately revoked.
Addressing the citizens of Margao and Fatorda who had gathered in front on the Margao Municipality to protest against the hike, Lolienkar asserted that the Chairperson should not impose these hardships on the citizens of Margao by hiking the fees in a staggering fashion of tens and hundreds of percentage increases. ”The Municipality should instead focus on collecting tax revenue from illegal businesses operating rampantly across Margao, make recoveries from defaulters and focus on providing good services to Margao citizens,” he added.
Ruling BJP councillor too seeks rollback
MARGAO: As Madgavkars hit the streets on Friday to protest against the hike in taxes and fees, ruling BJP councillor Camilo Barretto has called upon the BJP-controlled civic body to roll back the fees and keep the proposal on hold.
Councillor Camilo Barretto, who had got elected to the civic body on the BJP panel floated by incumbent BJP State president Damu Naik in the 2021 civic polls, told the media that the civic body cannot overburden the common man on the pretext that the hike in fees and taxes was long overdue. “The Municipality cannot effect a hike in taxes and fees at one go just because the civic body had failed to increase the taxes and fees over the last few years. This cannot be the argument of the Municipality to justify the hike,” Camilo said, while demanding a roll back in the fees and taxes.
