Team Herald
BICHOLIM: The 105 workers of Bicholim Municipal Council (BMC) who had remained without salary for July heaved a sigh of relief on Friday as the BMC disbursed their dues.
BMC Chairperson Karuna Govekar stated that the problem was due to lack of funds and that it had been solved. She also refuted claims that the Council had misappropriated funds and said the financial crisis existed since she took over as chairperson.
“It is because of the mismanagement of funds by the earlier Council. Since we took over, we have tried our best to stop the wastage of funds and unnecessary spending. The opposition is making baseless allegations,” said Govekar.
On Friday, Herald reported that 105 BMC workers did not receive salary for July. BMC had stated that the crisis was due to a reduced octroi given by the government, while the opposition alleged that BMC had misappropriated funds. Five councillors – Narayan Betkikar, Shashikant Naik Harlankar, Premanand Mayekar, Anisha Vernekar and Anita Harmalkar – had also submitted a letter demanding a special council meeting to discuss BMC’s financial position.
