MARGAO: The failure of the Margao municipal council (MMC) to open tenders received by it for executing development works in the city, even after three weeks of the scheduled date, has raised eyebrows in certain quarters. The MMC had invited tenders amounting to nearly Rs 2 crore for carrying out various kinds of development works in all 20 wards of the city. Though the date for opening of tenders was fixed as September 3 in the notice inviting tenders, the MMC has failed to open the bids till date.

While opposition councilors have cried foul over the matter, chairperson Savio Coutinho has refuted the opposition's charge that the bids were invited "despite knowing that the coffers of the municipality were empty."This is definitely not true. We already have Rs 1 crore lying in the municipality funds from the grants-inaid MMC received on several occasions for the last several years and which are lying unutilized. We are also due to receive another `` 90 lakh as our share of octroi.

The municipality can very well carry out the works from our own funds and adjust it against the grants-in-aid later,"Coutinho explained. Chief officer Y B Tavde when contacted, attributed the delay in opening the tenders to some "technical error" in the procedure to be carried out for opening tenders. "The technical section is in the process of completing the procedure in the required manner. We will open the tenders shortly,"Tavde said.

Several city fathers had revolted against Coutinho in the recent past for his failure to invite tenders for development works. The dissidence was quelled only after the tenders were invited. With the current term of the council almost ending, the development works were expected to provide some mileage to city fathers to seek another term in the civic council.