PANJIM: The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) on Thursday suspended upper division clerk Narayan Kavlekar for his alleged involvement in the pay parking and sopo collection scam that resulted in a loss of Rs 52 lakh to the corporation.
“There are many irregularities found in the pay parking and sopo collection tender files for which Narayan Kavlekar is responsible. The act on his part amounts to wilful neglect, carelessness and un-becoming on the part of an employee of the corporation in discharging his duties,” CCP Commissioner Deepak Dessai said in the order.
Kavlekar has been placed under suspension with immediate effect under Rule 10(1) of Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules 1965. However, the officer has been directed to remain present in the CCP office and not leave the headquarters without obtaining permission. The Corporation has also contemplated disciplinary proceedings against Kavlekar.
Dessai said the contract for collection of pay parking fees, sopo fees and annual fair fees at various places within CCP jurisdiction was awarded to Sonarya Hospitality Services for the period from February 2013 to January 2014, amounting to Rs 78,88,887. “Now, going through the files it is revealed that the contractor has failed to pay the amount of Rs 5,20,002 to the corporation,” he stated.
Similarly, for the period between February 2014 and January 2015, the same contract was awarded to Jose Gracias to the tune of Rs 83,21,000 of which Rs 12,47,215 are not paid to CCP .
Also contractor Rajan Mayenkar was awarded the same tender for a period 2015-16 amounting to Rs 62.07 lakh, however, the contractor failed to pay Rs 28.67 lakh. “Here, no contract or agreement was signed with contractor,” Dessai said.
The Commissioner said that the current contractor Straight Deal Services was supposed to pay Rs 5.23 lakh to CCP per month, however, since its introduction in May, not a single rupee has been paid to the civic body, “Here too, the licence agreement for collection of pay parking fees has not been notarised till date,” he said.
Dessai said that Kavlekar, who was dealing in these matters, took no steps towards recovery of the amount nor did he bring the same before the higher authorities.
