MARGAO
Nothing seems to be okay with the functioning of the district administration in South Goa. It’s now a week since a lone grade one officer has been presiding over the offices of three South Goa Additional Collectors – I, II and III.
Additional Collector-III, Ponda Damodar Mirajkar, has been shuttling between Ponda and Margao since the last one week in the absence of officers to hold the reigns of office of Additional Collector-I and Additional Collector-II.
Damodar Morajkar has been looking after the office of Additional Collector-I and Additional Collector-II, besides discharging his regular duties as Additional Collector-III, Ponda. And, if officials are to be believed, Morajkar may also hold the additional charge as District Collector if Collector Anjali Sehrawat proceeds on leave as scheduled at the fag end of April unless the government intervenes and streamline the administration by posting officials.
The unusual situation has cropped up at the district administration after Additional Collector-I Agnelo Fernandes took ill a week ago. Agnelo was not only holding the reigns of office of Additional Collector-I, but was holding additional charge of Additional Collector-II after then Additional Collector, Johnson Fernandes, was posted in the Margao Municipal Council in November last.
What’s interesting to note is that TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai, who was instrumental in transferring and posting Johnson Fernandes to the Margao municipality to tone up the civic body and to effect revenue recoveries, had promised to get back Johnson back as Additional Collector-II after he puts a system in place in the MMC. It’s now close to five months since Johnson was transferred and posted as Chief Officer of Margao Municipal Council, neither has he been reverted back as Additional Collector-II (with the post lying vacant since November) but the government has till date not filled the vacancy resulting in the transfer of Johnson to the MMC.
Sources in the know informed that the Additional Collector, III Morajkar may hold the additional charge of Additional Collector-I and II till the weekend as it is expected in the Collectorate that Additional Collector Agnelo may resume work by next week.
