Team Herald
MARGAO: Margao Municipal Council (MMC) Chairperson Babita Prabhudessai has asked for a thorough probe in the issue, where an air-conditioner was fitted to a storeroom meant for dustbins at Housing Board at Gogol, Margao.
This comes in the wake of allegations by the former chairperson Savio Coutinho, who lambasted the present council for the blatant waste of public money.
Addressing media persons Savio pointed out that when he was the chairperson in 2008, a composting unit was constructed at the place. However after using it for some time, the same was abandoned.
“As people were dumping all kinds of waste and not only biodegradable waste, it was abandoned,” said former councilor Sadanand Naik who represented the area in the MMC in the past.
In July 2016 MMC floated tenders to construct a storeroom in place of the composting unit and the estimated cost for the same was Rs. 49,723. “We were told that material used to collect the garbage from households including spades and bins would be kept in the storeroom,” a local, Gurudas Kamat said.
However, locals were surprised to see that the structure was taking a posh look, as it had tiles on the floor and presumably a wash basin inside, as pipeline to take away the dirty water can be seen outside the structure going out in the neighbouring comunidade property and not a soak pit.
But what shocked the locals completely was the fact that a new air-conditioner was fitted to the structure thereby giving an impression that it was being made for some other activity and not merely to be used as a storeroom.
Where in the world can one find an air-conditioned store room, questioned Coutinho.
He further revealed that MMC had not issued any license or NOC to have a electricity connection to the structure, even though a meter box of the electricity department could be seen attached to the outer wall of the room.
“We have got a list of around 50 works undertaken by the MMC since it took over and all these works are estimated to be below Rs. 50,000. We were investigating these works and in the process stumbled upon this air conditioned storeroom, he said.
He also said that they have found other suspicious tenders including one to construct a drain at the same place where a drain is existing. He said the Chief Officer has assured to lodge a police complaint over this matter even as Prabhudessai said she has asked the municipal engineers to give a detailed report on the matter.
