VIBHA VERMA

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The Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) and Panjim Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) have got into a bitter tussle after the former pulled out its staffers from the animal shelter home at St Inez.

The issue began when CCP’s Commissioner Dipak Desai issued an order on June 22 directing six of its staffers – three sweepers and three daily wage workers (dog catchers and drivers) -- to report back to CCP office. The Corporation also took back two vehicles and one ambulance that had been given to PAWS. This infuriated with Angela Kazi, secretary of PAWS, who alleged that the Corporation was acting against the shelter home out of animosity.

Interacting with reporters thereafter, Kazi had stated that CCP provided the premises, staff, vehicles and a telephone but doesn't fund the society. She said PAWS depends on donations from well-wishers and the city people. With no staff and vehicles, the upset PAWS secretary said that animals would be left unattended and remaining quarters would be shut.

Desai, on the other hand, slammed Kazi for spreading wrong information claiming “her uncooperative and dictatorial behaviour was resulting into problems.” So also, CCP’s 12 staff and four vehicles are kept idle or misused by Kazi, he added while speaking to Herald. “If she has any issue, she can approach me or CCP authorities but she acts like a dictator. She is misusing our resources,” he said.

Kazi on the other hand retorted right back saying that there’s a “rot in the CCP”. She said that the Commissioner has been making false statements to the press

The CCP has also allowed using its land and the building for which it spends Rs 25,000 monthly. “But the results are not satisfactory,” he rued, “Only 20-40 sterilization of dogs are done monthly and there is no other work. The vehicles and staff allotted to the PAWS earlier were for entire district in the North, but the sterilization is carried out only in Panjim.”

The commissioner alleged that Kazi misuses CCP resources for her private work. In another complaint against her, Desai said she neither answers CCP calls not allows CCP workers to communicate with the Corporation. “She treats the staff as her private employees,” he alleged. The CCP had also issued her notices on two occasions to produce documents of agreement, contract of MOU with CCP.

Kazi, who is presently traveling and will return to Goa on July 1, claims she has all the documents and copies of correspondence between the two agencies.

She alleged that the files went missing from the CCP, which, however, was refuted by the Commissioner.