It’s time the new CCP body decides to address issues plaguing Panaji
The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) is the only municipal corporation in Goa, and looking at the size of other towns in the state, there is no doubt that there won’t be another for a long time. The municipal body of the capital city is, however, a corporation only on paper, as it has limited control over basic infrastructure such as water, electricity, roads, and transport in Panaji, which are not under the purview of the CCP, unlike other bigger cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, and Delhi.
In fact, even the elected members of the CCP are still officially designated as Councillors and not Corporators, according to the Corporation of the City of Panaji Act, 2002.
Last week, this civic body went to the polls for the fifth time since its elevation from the Panjim Municipal Council to the Corporation in 2003. The CCP, since its inception, has been mostly ruled by the panel of the current Panaji legislator, Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate. This panel has once again posted its flag on the corporation following the March 11 polls for the civic body. In 2021, this panel backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party had conquered 25 out of 30 wards, while this time it won in 27 wards, achieving victory for 90 percent of its candidates.
The other panel, backed by Utpal Parrikar, the son of the former chief minister and Panaji MLA for multiple times, Manohar Parrikar, was expected to be a strong opponent for the Babush panel. However, it faltered and could finally manage to win in only three wards. The blow from the electorate was so hard that even Surendra Furtado, who contested under this panel, lost the election, and he had been the city councillor for the past seven consecutive terms. Issues like offshore casinos, a pay parking system run by the CCP, and the troubles faced by the citizens during the implementation of the Smart City Mission and, finally, the anti-incumbency factor could not affect the prospects of the Babush panel.
The victory of the Babush panel can be attributed to a single factor, and that is the ‘connect’ the city MLA has with the electorate. The migrants who have settled in various wards of the city, from villages in the Dona Paula area to Ribandar in large numbers, also have their own share in the victory of this panel.
However, other factors like backing from the BJP government and delimitation and reservation of wards supposedly having worked in favour of the panel seem to be inconsequential before the Babush ‘connect’ factor.
The city now once again looks to this panel with hope, just like it did five years ago when it was elected to the civic body. Panaji is in a bad shape. The new city fathers will now need to discipline the running of the capital city. The CCP is already facing a financial crunch with house tax arrears hovering between Rs 8 crore and Rs 10 crore, just as major dues are pending from government undertakings, and only 40 per cent to 50 per cent of property owners pay taxes regularly. The newly elected councillors now have a great responsibility on their shoulders, which includes protecting the city from its ongoing topographical, social, and cultural degradation.
Panaji requires a multi-level parking facility, better street lighting, well-maintained parks, efficient traffic regulation, etc. Issues pertaining to the lease agreement in the new market, reconstruction of the old market and old unsafe building, etc. Will Monserrate & Co., with its ‘triple engine,’ address the major issues plaguing the capital city of Goa?
