Team Herald
MARGAO: Nearly a year after funds from the Holy Spirit feast fair failed to reach municipal coffers, the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) has launched an internal inquiry against suspended employee Yogesh Shetkar, who is accused of misappropriating approximately Rs 18 lakh.
On Tuesday, Shetkar recorded his statement before Municipal Engineer Deepak Desai in what civic officials described as a preliminary inquiry under service rules. This marks Shetkar’s first formal response since the council issued him a notice regarding the allegations.
Sources within MMC clarified that the current probe is a departmental process to determine further disciplinary action, and is not linked to the recovery of the embezzled funds. A senior official stated that separate legal or administrative proceedings would be required to initiate recovery.
While the Margao Police had arrested and released Shetkar on bail last December, questions remain over whether he is solely liable for the full Rs 18 lakh, especially as he is believed to have personally collected only around Rs 3 lakh from vendors. The case has exposed loopholes in the council's fee collection system, as the fair's revenue was never officially deposited. With the one-year mark approaching, pressure is mounting on the MMC to announce its recovery plan.
Despite earlier assurances from MMC Chairperson Damodar Shirodkar that all efforts would be made to recover the lost amount, no visible action has been taken over the past year.