Goemkarponn desk
MARGAO: Shadow Council for Margao on Sunday questioned the silence of the Margao MLA Digamber Kamat over the major scam that has occurred at the Margao Municipal Council. SCM Convener Savio Coutinho stated that the Margao MLA had seen undue reason to come out with an ordinance to ensure that he gets control over the Council by getting his man planted on to the Chairperson’s seat, then how can he be so mute to such a huge fraud that has occurred in his Council? questioned Coutinho.
Addressing the media along with Robert Vaz, Damodar Onskar and Clifford Dias, SCM Convener Savio Coutinho challenged the Margao MLA to declare that he shall ensure that the entire misappropriated amount will be recovered from the erring staff. The fact that the police complaint was filed after over a month, and the Municipal staff is yet to be taken into custody, it becomes even more suggestive that some politician is pressurizing the police to go slow in this matter, Coutinho charged.
SCM further called upon the MLAs of Fatorda Mr. Vijay Sardessai and Curtorim MLA Mr. Reginald Lourenco to take up this matter, as their constituents are also the contributors to the Municipal treasury.
SCM further charged that a blame game has started within the Council by which the Chairperson is found pointing fingers towards the Chief Officer and the Chief Officer in turn is blaming the other MMC officials who were part of the team appointed to oversee the feast fair setup. What is however interesting is that the Chairperson, at the Council meeting held on 14th June suggested that the Chief Officer had empowered the LDC Mr. Yogeshwar Shetkar to collect the stall fees, then how can the Chief Officer himself be kept out of this issue?, he said.
SCM Convener Coutinho made a strong demand that there should be an investigation on the deposits and withdrawals of all the bank accounts held by Yogeshwar Shetkar, as this will be an indicator of the collection that had actually come from the feast fair stalls. The number of stalls actually allotted at the fair was more than 315, however initially only 292 stalls were reported, which slowly increased to 296 and subsequently to 299, Coutinho revealed.
SCM charged that there was a deliberate attempt to make the entire case weak by adding non-related staff in the scam when the Chief Officer and the Accounts officer Abhay Rane publicly announced at the Council meeting that the LDC had submitted a written statement that he was solely responsible for the return of the misappropriated funds, though he didn’t mention the amount in his letter.
Senior citizen and local resident Mr. Robert Vaz stated that the Council has to pay trade license fees in advance for the financial year, and if anyone delays in making the payment, he is heavily fined with late fees. And here is a case where over 18 lakhs of Municipal funds have been taken away by the MMC staff, will the Council recover the amounts with interest? he questioned.
SCM warned that apart from filing official complaints before the Chief Secretary and the DMA, they will also give a call to all the taxpayers and Madgaonkars to come out on the street to demand for recovery of the public funds. Mr. Coutinho also warned that all the taxpayers will be given a call to stop paying taxes to the Council until the misappropriated funds are recovered with interest.
