SATURDAY, MAY 04, 2024
PRATIK PARAB
MARGAO: The contractor who was appointed for the collection of the levy charges and maintenance who was purely on contract basis and as a stop-gap arrangement has become the permanent favourite of the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA).
He is obviously a blue-eyed contractor. Documents available with Herald prove this. Milagres Fernandes, was allotted the work of levy collection by the SGPDA as a “stop-gap arrangement on purely temporary basis”, with effect from December 11, 2019 until the tendering process of the Authority is completed with these broad conditions -- Deposit Rs 1.5 lakh before the 5th of each month towards levy collected in the wholesale fish market, Maintain the wholesale fish market and ensure clean and hygienic conditions.
Herald learns that the first condition was fulfilled only for January and February. But the vendor still continues with no attempt from the SGPA to tender this work and allot the contract in a transparent manner and stop losses to the exchequer. Who is giving him the green signal? It is clear that it’s not the SGPDA Member Secretary Vertika Dagur, who has issued notices and strongly asked for a transparent process to ensure revenue from levies comes into the SGPDA coffers which are dry.
Can the SGPDA tell the people of Margao and Goa, what its definition of “purely temporary basis” means? Does it extend indefinitely beyond seven months? It’s an open secret that the SGPDA Chairman and MLA Wilfred D’Sa wants the current ad-hoc arrangement to continue.
Member Secretary Dagur, understandably refused to comment when asked clearly, who was blocking her efforts to initiate a proper contract and stopping an ad-hoc arrangement.
On the other hand, even away from the wholesale sale fish market, retail market vendors of fruits and vegetable market at the SGPDA market said that they had filed a complaint in May, expressing their displeasure over the appointment and working of the contractor Milagres. They complained that the contractor was behaving in a high handed manner with them.
The vendors nearly 100 in numbers in their complaint also requested the Chairman and Member Secretary of SGPDA to remove the contractor and appoint a new contractor.
Several personal complaints by the fish cutters, cleaners in addition to the fruit and vegetable vendors have been submitted to the SGPDA against the act of the contractor Milagres forcing them to pay higher levy charges. Notices were drawn to the contractor but they fell on deaf ears.
