TEAM HERALD
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MARGAO: The Cuncolim Municipal Council has engaged a chartered accountant to put the civic accounts in place, with the government issuing directions to the civic body to comply with the audit findings before May 15.
While CMC Chairperson Devendra Dessai said the chartered account’s services were requisitioned to ensure that the accounts are fool-proof, local activist Ronny Dias has alleged that the CA has been roped in to manipulate the accounts and check irregularities. Dias has demanded to know who will pay for the CA’s services and whether the fees will be recovered from the erring officials.
The chairperson said that the CA was appointed to find out the unspent funds lying with the civic body over the years. The audit had in the past slammed the civic body for not returning back the unspent funds amounting to crores of rupees.
But, the chairperson has said that preliminary inquiries by the CA have now revealed that the unspent funds are in the range of only around Rs 80 lakh.
“We will communicate this finding to the government before May 15”, the chairperson said.
Meanwhile, activist Ronny Dias in a memorandum to the Urban Development Minister, Francis D’Souza has highlighted the plight of the common man on account of an insensitive Cuncolim municipal administration.
He pointed out that the CMC administration is in total mess, with successive chief officers failing to instill discipline in the municipal staff. He has demanded an inquiry into the funds spent on covering drains as well as street lighting undertaken before the Assembly polls.
