Staff Reporter
Margao
The Margao Congress block has initiated a social media awareness campaign to inform residents about the substantial increase in taxes and fees imposed by the Margao Municipal Council (MMC), which are set to take effect from April 1.
A door-to-door campaign is also scheduled to begin on March 16.
Margao Congress leader Savio Coutinho said that initial enquiries revealed that many citizens were unaware of the extent of the proposed hikes. “When the majority of people were unaware of the massive fee increases, some believed the hike was only 20%,” he said.
Given the complexity of the fee structure, the Congress block has adopted a targeted approach to explain the impact of the hikes. “We are creating video clips focusing on different categories of establishments, explaining the exact amount they will have to pay from April 1,” Coutinho said.
Several citizens, including Adv Snehal Onskar, Mathin Karol, Damodar Onskar, and Lalan Parsekar, have taken the lead in highlighting the financial burden on various businesses, including law offices, medical clinics, hardware stores, paint shops, furniture retailers, interior designers, photography studios, gyms, bars, and restaurants.
“Our primary demand is the immediate withdrawal of these proposed rates,” the campaigners said.
