the goan I network
MARGAO
Margao municipal chairperson Pooja Naik’s decision to cancel the Mount Abu study tour might have saved money amounting to Rs five lakh on the tour.
More than the money, however, sources in the know say the decision will ensure that key municipal officials, including Chief Officer Ajit Panchwadkar, besides the 3-4 municipal engineers who had almost confirmed their participation for the tour are all around in the city as the South Goa district Court is expected to cap hearing in the Sonsodo legal tangle between the
civic body and Fomento on January 21.
Sources in the know informed that the MMC delegation for the study tour was scheduled to start the journey to Mount Abu by flight on January 21, the same day when the district Court was scheduled to hear the matter between MMC and Fomento.
That the district Judge, B P Deshpande had made it categorically clear that he will have no option than to hold the final hearing of the matter on January 21 and probably pass an order, unless the two parties negotiate and arrive at an amicable settlement, shows that the presence of the Chief Officer as well as the municipal engineers was very much required in the city in anticipation of the final court hearing.
Though MMC chairperson Pooja maintained that hardships and inconveniences that would be caused to the citizens in the absence of key officials in the civic body had also weighed while taking the decision to cancel the tour, the decision will ensure that the key officials are available to take a decision when the Court passes an order in the matter.
Meanwhile, officials in the know informed that the civic body will save around Rs five lakh by cancelling the tour. As per rough estimates, the travel of the officials and the City Fathers would have cost the civic body around Rs three lakh, besides around a lakh of rupees on
accommodation.
