Goemkarponn desk
MARGAO: Ahead of the Council meeting to discuss the matter of seeking Supreme Court relief in the BS4 engine trucks, the Shadow Council for Margao demanded fixing of responsibility for the 38 lakhs loss in the purchase of 3 nos BS4 engine banned trucks. And make those responsible deposits the Supreme Court Advocate fees with the Council as advance.
Vide a representation to the MMC Chief Officer, SCM Convener Savio Coutinho stated that through the RTI information provided by the Council, it was learnt that the 3 nos BS4 trucks were purchased in UNDUE HURRY at the time when the Supreme Court was on the verge of banning vehicles with such engines because of pollution control measures.
SCM charged that the Council is well aware of this fact, and opted to purchase these trucks in connivance with the Tata Motors dealer M/s. N. D. Naik, and with heavy kickbacks having been received by those in authority then.
Confounding his charges, Coutinho stated, “we have to make the above charge based on several documents obtained from the Council, and more specifically the reply filed before the Principal Account General (Audit), Goa, stating that the “Ex Chairperson of Margao Municipal Council Dr Babita Angle Prabhudesai, had given directions to make the said purchase without following the laid down Codal formalities.”
Coutinho revealed further that the invoices issued to the Council, against which around 37.50 lakhs was paid to the dealer, are either fake or invalid as the same has not been registered on the E-Vahan portal. And this is the primary reason why the vehicles cannot be registered by the RTO.
Coutinho said that it was a very well-known fact to everyone that the Dealer M/S. N. D. Naik was on the verge of being sealed/shut down on account of the severe financial crisis. And as such, this purchase amounts to a clear conspiracy, with the heads of the Council being involved.
SCM pointed out that the Council had sent letters to Tata Motors on two occasions, warning about criminal offences being registered against the company for cheating and fraud. However, the fact that no such offence is registered to date, the involvement of Council heads being part of the fraud becomes most certain, he charged.
SCM stated that the reason for making the representation was that the Council has listed an item on the Ordinary meeting agenda scheduled for 22nd August to deliberate and decide on approaching the Supreme Court for relief in this matter. “And having gone through various orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the matter pertaining to BS4 engine vehicles, we learn that one of such order had given the purchasers of BS4 engine vehicles, prior to 1st April 2020, an opportunity to register the vehicle’s; provided that the purchase was registered on the E-Vahan portal, Coutinho informed. There is a very clear mention in the Supreme court order that the invoices should be thoroughly checked for genuineness before the completion of the registration process, he said further.
The SCM, therefore, said, appears to be a very weak case for the Council, and is an apparent move to save those involved, and that too at the cost of the Municipal treasury.
The SCM demanded that the responsibility for the huge losses suffered by the Council should be fixed, and those responsible should be made to deposit the fees of the Supreme Court advocate in advance. Upon any order granting permission for the registration of the vehicles, the fees deposited should be refunded, SCM suggests. However, in the event of an unsuccessful petition before the Hon’ble Supreme court, then the 37.50 lakhs spent towards the purchase of the 3 trucks should be recovered from those responsible for the losses, Coutinho stated.
SCM warned that any attempt to neglect the interest of the public exchequer would be viewed seriously, and the Shadow Council for Margao would seek a necessary legal remedy.
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