Team Herald
MARGAO: Cuncolim residents are surprised that Cuncolim Municipal Council still does not have a fulltime chief officer.
Besides the post of chief officer, the Council does not have a fulltime municipal engineer and junior engineer. The account office is being handled by a retired person. All these problems are affecting the functioning of CMC administration.
Besides the development work files, other administrative works are pending. “Will government take immediate steps to provide full time CO and other officers to CMC?” is the question that citizens have been asking.
A month has passed now since Kedar Naik was transferred to Canacona as Deputy Collector, with additional charge as Canacona Municipal Council chief officer. Surprisingly, the officer who has been transferred to Cuncolim Municipal Council as chief officer is hesitant to accept the post.
Kedar Naik was officiating as chief officer only for four months and that he was reportedly not happy with the functioning of the council. However, he is still holding the charge of Cuncolim Municipal Council since no one has been sent to relive him.
It may be recalled that the earlier chief officer Pandharinath Naik tenure was a turbulent one and many times the police had to intervene.
Further, there are serious cases pending with the authorities including vigilance and anti-corruption bureau making it a tough task for whoever comes in next.
Sources say that the above reasons are why officers are hesitating to take up the post. It may be recalled that past audit reports have passed strictures against the CMC for misappropriation of funds and for not filing compliance report on audit remarks. It is speculated that officers do not want to walk into this mess and that is why CMC has not been able to get a fulltime chief officer.
