MARGAO: Residents of Margao have raised concerns about the alleged misappropriation of public funds in recent beautification projects undertaken by the Margao Municipal Council. Demanding a thorough investigation into the matter, citizens gathered near Gomant Vidya Niketan (GVN) and questioned the use of taxpayers’ money for these initiatives.
The focus of their allegations revolves around the beautification of the frontage of GVN, a renowned institution with a history spanning 111 years. According to residents, they suspect misappropriation under the pretext of enhancing the GVN premises.
The Margao Municipal Council had sought a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from GVN, which was granted, as well as from other parties for similar beautification projects in the Comba area. Subsequently, the council initiated a tender for the ‘Beautification work near Gomant Vidya Niketan wall next to Virginkar garage and Clock tower opposite Vinayak Sambari house at Comba in ward no.12’ at an estimated cost of Rs 19,90,562.
Former banker and social activist Jose Maria Miranda questioned the necessity of using public funds for the beautification when GVN was perfectly capable of undertaking the project independently.
Dinesh Kakodkar, a citizen and professional fabricator for 35 years, expressed his frustration, stating that the quality of work executed did not justify the amount spent. “For every 100 rupees we spend, we pay 18 rupees towards GST. It is so frustrating to see taxpayers’ money being looted like this,” he said.
Tiatrist Wilson Mazarello (Wilmix) called for the beautification of his private compound walls, offering to grant the required NOC for the task.
A breakdown of the beautification tender revealed that Rs 10,81,338 was allocated for the beautification of the GVN compound, accounting for 54% of the estimated project cost. Savio Coutinho, former Chairperson of MMC, alleged significant discrepancies when comparing the listed work items in the schedule with the actual work executed at the three locations.
In response to the allegations, local councillor Sagun Naik clarified that, as a ward representative, his role involved proposing beautification works and not overseeing the technical aspects of the projects. “The civic body should avoid paying the amount to the concerned contractor if irregularities are found in the works and the process,” he stated.
