Team Herald
MARGAO: In a strong condemnation following the cancellation of the Sopo collection tender, former Chairperson Savio Coutinho has accused certain vested interests within the council of exploiting the situation for personal financial gain. Coutinho claimed these individuals have found ways to profit at the expense of public resources throughout the sopo collection process.
Coutinho pointed out that, since June 2024, sopo collection has been taken over by the MMC itself. However, the amount being deposited into the Municipal Treasury has been far less than expected. The upset value of the contract was Rs. 69.30 lakh for a 12-month period, meaning approximately Rs 5.75 lakh should have been deposited per month. Instead, the actual deposit averages only Rs 15,000 per day, amounting to just Rs. 4.5 lakh per month. This discrepancy, according to Coutinho, points to a shortfall in the funds being deposited into the treasury.
He alleged that a portion of the collected funds is being diverted for political purposes, claiming that Rs 4,000 daily (equating to Rs. 1.2 lakh per month) from the sopo collection is directed to a council elected representative, with other individuals also benefitting from this arrangement.
Coutinho provided a detailed account of events surrounding the tender, alleging that a Public Works Department (PWD) Civil Contractor was brought in to bid for the sopo collection tender, while the actual work was being carried out by associates of a local politician. He mentioned that the non-payment of installments was exposed, yet the contract was inexplicably extended. "When we demanded the recovery of the pending dues, the contractor submitted a letter of withdrawal from the contract in June 2024," he said.
The Congress functionary expressed his disappointment with the council’s decision to waive Rs 2.39 lakh owed by the contractor, a violation of the original agreement. "We have submitted our objection to this loss to the public exchequer and hope the government will take necessary action to recover this amount," he added.
Coutinho also outlined tactics used by certain individuals, driven by the financial incentive of the sopo collection, to disrupt the tender process. He recalled an instance two months ago when a dummy bidder, who submitted an unreasonably high bid, was introduced to intentionally delay the process. This bidder was declared successful but failed to complete key formalities, such as submitting the security deposit or the advance installment.
"Legally, the EMD (Earnest Money Deposit) of this contractor should have been forfeited. However, we are now learning that the EMD has been released, which confirms the manipulation designed to maintain the departmental collection of sopo," Coutinho stated.
The former chairperson expressed frustration over the government's inaction, especially by the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA), and urged the public to take note of how elected representatives are misappropriating public funds, all while imposing additional taxes on citizens.