SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
Team Herald
MARGAO: The Shadow Council of Margao (SCM) has alleged that there is a fresh scam in the recent tendering of pre-monsoon works by the Margao Municipal Council (MMC), which was delayed.
This time around, the MMC has adopted a different method, by inviting tenders for ‘supply of workers’ for the de-silting works.
In this new ‘scheme’, SCM pointed out that 4 tenders are drawn for de-silting work in a cluster of 6 wards each for 3 tenders, and 7 wards for one tender. While the contractor has to engage 450 workers/mandays in each of the 6-ward clusters, the successful bidder for the 7-ward cluster should engage 525 workers/mandays. As per the work order, these pre-monsoon works shall commence from May 18 and should be completed by July 2, by which time the monsoons would have well advanced.
“In addition, 2 tenders have been drawn for the supply of trucks for lifting of the silt removed from the drains. A 12-ward cluster will get a truck with workers for 36 work days @6000/- per day; another 13-ward cluster will get the truck for 39 work days. A total expenditure of Rs 17.50 lakhs is likely to be incurred for this time bound pre-monsoon work,” said Savio Coutinho, SCM convenor.
SCM further charged the council for not having any information as to which drains will be allocated to the worker's to execute the de-silting works.
"In our follow up to an RTI application filed by us with respect to the pre-monsoon works, we learnt that the MMC has not prepared any list of drains that need to be cleaned. An official from the technical section told us that wherever and whenever the worker's of the respective contractors are deployed for the cleaning work, their attendance will be recorded in the measurement book,” said Coutinho.
“The very fact that the Council has no lists prepared for the desilting work clearly establishes how prepared and serious MMC is with the pre monsoon works. With the monsoons likely to set early as announced, the workers engaged through the contractor's are unlikely to be able to give the desired output in view of the rains. As such their attendance will have to be recorded, with or without work. Isn't this a waste of public funds?” asks Coutinho.
SCM further alleged that there was an understanding behind the tender process and that MMC itself is utilising around 50 workers, simultaneously to clear the drains in different wards.
