Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: In a startling revelation, a ward member of the Santa Cruz Village Panchayat has lodged a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in Goa, alleging widespread corruption, favouritism, and kickbacks in the selection of a garbage contractor.
The complaint, filed by Inacio Dominic Pereira, a ward member of Santa Cruz, accuses the Sarpanch, Jennifer Elizabeth de Oliveira, and other officials of conspiring to award the contract to a higher bidder, resulting in significant financial losses to the panchayat.
The complaint, dated December 23, 2024, and addressed to the Police Inspector at the ACB in Altinho, Panjim, Goa, outlines a series of irregularities in the tendering process for door-to-door garbage collection and transportation to the Saligao plant.
Pereira alleges that the panchayat invited sealed quotations without obtaining prior permission from the Block Development Office (BDO) and failed to display the notice on the panchayat notice board as required.
The panchayat received four quotations for the garbage collection contract during a fortnightly meeting on December 13, 2024.
Despite Eco Solutions offering the lowest quotation at ₹5,68,000 per month, and Envirowire Solutions, the current contractor since 2022, offering the second-lowest at ₹6,60,000 per month, the Sarpanch selected the third-highest quotation from Lake Solutions at ₹7,50,000 per month.
This decision was made because no supporting documents were attached, although the advertisement did not specify such a requirement.
Pereira’s letter highlights the financial implications of this decision: “The difference between the lowest quotation and the one selected is ₹22,00,000 (twenty-two lakhs) annually, which represents a significant loss to public funds.” He also points out that Envirowire Solutions, by quoting a lower amount, could have saved the panchayat approximately ₹12,00,000 annually.
This is not the first instance of alleged irregularities in the panchayat’s tendering processes. Pereira mentions a similar incident in February 2024, where the lowest quotation for door-to-door garbage collection was submitted by Natekar Management (Bicholim) but was deliberately delayed by the Sarpanch and other officials. This delay resulted in a loss of around ₹12,00,000 to ₹15,00,000 from the panchayat’s funds.
As of now, there has been no official response from the ACB or the panchayat authorities regarding the complaint. Pereira has urged the ACB to initiate an immediate investigation and take necessary legal action against the Sarpanch and others involved. The next steps would likely involve an investigation by the ACB, potential meetings with stakeholders, and further actions to address the allegations and prevent such irregularities in the future.
