MARGAO: The Margao Municipal Council on Tuesday began the task of reassessing residential houses in the city in a bid to bring all such houses, that

were not assessed for the past several years, under the house tax scanner.

Some 350 houses came on the radar of the civic body at the end of day one of the exercise, sources informed. The exercise is scheduled to continue for the next two months with over 20,000 houses expected to be assessed during the period. The MMC has employed daily wage workers for the purpose. They have been grouped into seven teams.

The exercise is aimed at shoring up the treasury of the council by widening its tax base by 60%. "We hope to derive multiple benefits through this survey. One, we will be able to generate a proper database of the number of residential and commercial houses located within the city limits. Two, apart from bringing more houses under the tax net, we will also be able to impose trade tax on commercial units that were not assessed for house tax," MMC chief Savio Coutinho told TOI.

Coutinho added that the newly assessed houses also stand to gain as they will be able to avail of MMC's proposed development schemes and plans for the city.

Though over 20,000 houses had not been assessed for long, Coutinho was categorical in his assertion that all such houses could not be termed as illegal. "Many houses existed for many years and also figured in the survey plans, but for some reason, they were not assessed for house tax, though they availed of every other facility like electricity, water connections, etc," he pointed out. At present, over 40,000 houses are being assessed by the MMC for house tax.

The MMC now plans to decide on a cut-off date for the newly assessed houses for regularization. "Once the survey is over, we will set a cut-off date for allocation of house numbers to these units," Coutinho said.

MARGAO: In a welcome development, the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) has begun exploring ways of conserving the heritage structures located in the state's commercial capital. For starters, the old municipality building located in the old market, Margao and the ancient house of the great Goan parliamentarian late Fransisco Luis Gomes at Navelim, top the list of heritage structures that the civic body is keen to restore and preserve for posterity.

The MMC has sought the services of the Goa Heritage Action Group (GHAG) in the task of conservation of these two heritage structures. An article penned by Prajal Sakhardande of the GHAG that was published in a local daily some time back and a subsequent letter by the GHAG to the civic body drawing its attention to the ramshackle condition of the old municipal building, spurred the MMC to invite Sakhardande for talks. Monday saw MMC chairperson Savio Coutinho, chief officer Y B Tavde and municipal engineers discussing ways and means to go about preserving the two historical landmarks of the state's commercial capital.

Speaking to TOI after the meeting, Sakhardande said that he, on behalf of the GHAG, urged the municipality to restore the old municipal building "to its former glory without altering its historicity and original heritage character."

"The GHAG believes in adaptive use of heritage buildings and it is imperative that the MMC takes steps to conserve the building so that it remains as a piece of history and heritage of Margao for posterity. The municipal authorities appeared positive about going ahead with the task," Sakhardande said, adding that the first step was to identify the current owners of the historical structures.

MMC chairperson Savio Coutinho, when contacted said that the MMC was serious about restoring the ancient heritage structures that are presently in ruins. "We will work closely with the GHAG and also seek help from the government in this regard," he said.

Sakhardande's article informs that the eighteenth century landmark was the seat of Margao's municipal administration from 1778 till 1905 when the present municipal building was completed and inaugurated.

The ancestral house of the great Goan parlimentarian Fransisco Luis Gomes located at Colmorod, Navelim also lies in ruins. "Considering that the property lies in the prime locality, the government should acquire the land at market price from the present owners after settling the tenants. Setting up a museum depicting the life and works of Fransisco Luis Gomes at the site will serve as a befitting tribute to man who did Navelim and Goa proud," Coutinho had told TOI when this paper first highlighted this ramshackle structure in a story carried on May 31.