Team Herald
PONDA: After three chaotic meetings of the Marcaim Bar Amre Khajan Tenant Association failed to elect a new committee following allegations of a scam, an ad hoc committee was elected for six months at a meeting on Wednesday, which was attended by Ponda Mamlatdar Vinod Dalal.
On January 8, the Mamlatdar had dissolved the old committee after the member farmers claimed they had run a multi-crore scam with the association funds. The farmers had refused to elect a new committee on Monday, demanding that the old one first furnish an audited financial statement of accounts.
However, the Mamlatdar convinced them to elect a committee to look after the administration and maintenance of the bandhara work, and they relented. The new three-member committee comprises Mangaldas Gaude as Chairman, Premanand Gaude as Secretary and Amardeep Marcaikar as Treasurer.
The audited statement of the old committee was presented during the meeting, but the farmers demanded a re- audit of the books by a government auditor. “Within six months, the accounts of the association will be audited under the guidance of the Mamlatdar and ad hoc committee, and in case a scam is uncovered, a vigilance inquiry will be conducted,” said Secretary Premanand Gaude.
The Mamlatdar also said that Rs ten lakh has been sanctioned for repairs of Bandhara. It may be recalled that following a breach in the bandhara, the entire field measuring 25 lakh square mtrs was submerged under saline water.
