Will address staff crunch in Mapusa municipality: Rane

Panaji: Acknowledging the staff crunch faced by various municipalities in the state, town and country planning minister Vishwajit Rane on Friday said that the directorate of municipal administration has been asked to assess the shortage and create fresh posts.Rane, who was speaking at the inaugural of the renovated Mapusa Municipal Council building, said that the creation of a common cadre for municipalities, which has been pending for over five years, will help address the inefficiencies at the municipal level.“We will work towards increasing the municipality staff. I told the DMA that what we need is an assessment first,” said Rane. “There is a requirement for a common cadre.

The current staff strength is based on the earlier time when there were nine councillors. Now the councillors have increased, and that is why staff has to be increased. We need to make our municipalities independent.”Mapusa MLA Joshua De Souza informed Rane that a shortage of staff was delaying key works that the Mapusa Municipal Council has taken up.“I received a proposal for the market complex, and it will be my endeavour to place this proposal at the next GSUDA meeting.

The expenditure for this project I will discuss with the CM and find the money. Mapusa needs a town planning scheme,” said Rane.Rane said that he will ensure that sanction is accorded for key projects proposed for Mapusa. He also said that the ICU at the North Goa district hospital will be fully utilised.Shashank Narvekar, the councillor for Mapusa’s ward no. 5, skipped the inaugural citing illegalities. He said that the building lacks the required NOCs from the health department, the electricity department, and the PWD and thus also lacks an occupancy certificate.“It appears that the commercial complex of Mapusa Municipal Council is incomplete, illegally constructed, and wrongly planned,” said Narvekar.

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