TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: State Cabinet on Wednesday, in principle, approved an amendment to the Code of Comunidade for appointing Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to oversee and monitor the affairs of those Comunidades, whose fraudulent functioning are exposed through audit findings or other enquires. The government would issue an ordinance in this regard, shortly.
The decision was taken following exhaustive report on Serula Comunidade by government-appointed chartered accountant that exposed serious lapses in the functioning of the comunidades wherein a whopping Rs 2.76 crore has remained unaccounted, as per the report.
Addressing media persons after the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said Cabinet has in principle approved the issuing of an ordinance to appoint a special officer in all such comunidades, where frauds have been reported. “The process to such a draft ordinance is currently on,” he said.
Parrikar said that the situation prevailing in the Comunidade of Serula is similar in most of the comunidades and there is a need to issue general instructions to all the comunidades, so as to avoid such fraudulent situations in the future.
As per the proposal, the OSD, appointed by the government, will have the powers to oversee the functions of the comunidade, inquire into and lodge complaints as regards the past, present affairs of the comunidade. The officer will also have all powers as vested in the managing committee as well as administrator of comunidade.
The officer will be appointed for a period of two years, initially and the same can be extended depending upon the situation and state of affairs of the comunidade, Parrikar said.
The matter would now be placed before Law Department and Finance Department for approval, chief minister said.
The Government, on June 24, 2013, had appointed a chartered accountant to audit the accounts and records of Serula Comunidade for last five years ~ April 2008 to March 2013. The interim report has said that there is no proper control procedure in place on the completeness of various assets, income and expenses booked. No records as maintained about the basic procedure for land allotment, total plots, incomes and expenses incurred due to making and sale of plots, details of shareholders and gaonkars is also not available, as a result there is no control on amount of dividend paid and rent collected.
416 posts scrapped
PANJIM: State Cabinet on Wednesday scrapped 416 posts created for Ponda ID hospital, by previous Congress government, terming them as ‘unwanted’. It has retained 146 posts of the total 550 odd posts that were created by the erstwhile government.
Speaking to media persons, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said such huge number of posts were unwanted at the Ponda hospital and hence Cabinet decided to abolish 416 posts, which include posts of drivers, ward sisters, workers, LDC, UDC and others. The Cabinet also approved creation of additional four posts at Assolna public health centre to strengthen the manpower.
In yet another decision, Cabinet has approved hike in the uniform washing allowance of police from existing Rs 75 to Rs 300 per month. Government has also decided to grant temporary status to 1399 workers under the Public works department (PWD) Labour society, who have completed eight years of service on April1, 2013.
The Chief Minister said the workers would be paid on par with other temporary workers along with the benefit of grade pay.
