Daijiworld Media Network - Mapusa

Mapusa, May 30: As the first monsoon rains battered Mapusa, flooding homes, waterlogging streets, and disrupting the local market, the town’s leadership was conspicuously absent. At least nine councillors of the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC), including Chairperson Priya Mishal and Vice chairperson Prakash Bhivshet, flew to Dubai for a leisure trip leaving the town leaderless in its hour of need.

Eight councillors departed early morning on May 25, with Chairperson Mishal joining midweek. Meanwhile, residents grappled with the chaos caused by incomplete or poorly managed pre-monsoon drainage and desilting work. Several wards are still undergoing emergency clean-up, but those responsible for overseeing the efforts chose a Gulf holiday instead.

Locals have dubbed this ‘civic junket’ an abandonment of duty. Former BJP chairperson Sandip Falari expressed disappointment: “Given the current monsoon situation, it’s not the ideal time to go on a holiday. They should have stayed to help those in need.”

Not all councillors left former chairpersons Nutan Bicholkar and Shubangi Vaigankar, councillor Swapnil Shirodkar, and senior councillor Chandrashekar Benkar stayed behind. Opposition members and some politically neutral councillors also refrained from joining the trip.

Nutan Bicholkar, distancing herself from the controversy, said, “I don’t want to compromise on my principles. I am concerned about my ward’s work.”

For many residents, the timing feels like a betrayal. A local shopkeeper lamented, “Our town was sinking last week, and when we expected leadership, they were gone.”

The MMC’s functioning without its top two officials for two consecutive days has symbolized a deeper crisis a town abandoned by its own leaders at a critical time.

For Mapusa, the episode serves as a harsh reminder that public service demands presence and responsibility, especially when the community needs it the most. A sad day indeed for this historic town.