S Goa communidades firm in not paying derrama
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, DEC 11
The South Goa Communidades Forum has unanimously ratified the decision of the Communidades to stop remittance of derrama in view of the failure and neglect of the Administrator of Communidades and the government to rectify the faulty and illegal polices and action.
A meeting of the Forum has demanded immediate sanction of disbursal of dividends/jonos to communidade shareholder which have been withheld and denied for the last two years at the behest of Revenue Minister, Jose Philip D’Souza.
They pointed out that hundreds of shareholders, many of whom are senior citizens, widows and minority religious/charitable institutions are dependent on the dividend income for their medical and other basic needs and are suffering on account of the arbitrary, high-handed and insensitive action of the Revenue Minister.
Members pointed out that the Communidades are compelled to stop remittance of derrama in view of the failure of the Administrator to audit his office accounts since 1982 in the absence of accountability for the crores of rupees paid by Communidades as derrama over the last 28 years, illegal recruitment of staff flouting all statutory requirements; arbitrary increase in salaries of staff by applying Central pay commission without consulting the Communidades as required under Article 643/644 of the Communidade Code and without ascertaining their financial position, deployment of communidade staff in Collector’s office et al.
The meeting condemned the South Goa Collector’s dictatorial and totally illegal direction to the Admnistrator of Communidades of South Zone not to countersign cheques of non-derrama paying Communidades towards payment of advocate’s legal faees.
Saying that the advocates are being engaged by the Communidades in litigation involving land acquisition, encroachments, tenancy, writ petitions etc, the meeting demanded immediate withdrawal of the order.
The meeting unanimously resolved to demand immediate downsizing of the staff of the Adminisration office of Communidades by absorption of surplus staff by the government or their retrenchment; audit of accounts of Administration office from 1982 onwards; recovery from Collector of South Goa of salaries of Communidade staff deputed/deployed in Collectorate and for election duty and compensation of requisition of Communidade vehicle for election work, natural calamities etc (aggregating to about Rs 15 lakh).
The meeting also demanded enhancement of rents of premises in administration office building and recovery of arrears and handing over the vacant hall on the first floor of administration office building to the Association of Components of Communidades.
