The story of a private business at Miramar whose electricity bill is being footed by the tax payers money has taken a different turn.
Even as the noodle franchisee using a mobile van continues to draw power supply from the nearby Sulabh pay toilet whose electricity bills are being footed by the Tourism department, the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has been caught on the wrong foot for issuing the franchisee a trade licence for its mobile van, contradicting its undertaking to the High Court that it had frozen the number of mobile carts in the city.
Although the franchisee owner Sneha Salgaonkar has claimed that they had a tie up with the tourism department, and they were paying the electricity bills, tourism department officials said that neither is there any tie-up with the noodle franchise nor are they paying the electricity bills for the power they consume.
The officials have showed hesitancy in taking action, claiming political intereference. TOI spotted the officer on special duty (OSD) of a cabinet minister at the noodle franchise’s mobile van on Monday evening.
The blame game in the CCP regarding the trade licence has also started with fingers pointing to the other. Opposition corporator Surendra Furtado in whose ward the entire episode has played out said he was not aware when the permission was given. “The permission was given by the mayor, commissioner and the standing committee three months ago when I was on a trip to China,” he said.
Mayor Tony Rodrigues denied giving any permission. “No, I have not signed the file, neither has the standing committee,” he said. Standing committee members alleged that former commissioner Sanjiv Gadkar had given the permission on a trial basis for three months.
Photo from Stock.xchng.
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