Team Herald
MARGAO: A special meeting of the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) to discuss pre-monsoon works got so heated that the majority of the councilors were standing on their feet as they feared such works would not be completed on time. They warned that the public will be forced to bear the brunt of water-logging and other related issues that could crop up once it starts raining.
The special meeting had been convened to approve MMC engineers’ proposals for the pre-monsoon works in all 25 wards. MMC Chairperson Lyndon Pereira said the councilors that a total of RS 21 lakh had been allocated for the task, out of which Rs 6 lakh was from the municipal funds whereas the remaining 15 lakhs were from the disaster management grant from the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA). He added that two contractors will be engaged for these works.
However, the meeting descended into chaos over the issue of how many labourers would be assigned per ward and how the rotation system would work. While Pereira stated that there are 75 labourers, which will be divided in mini groups and that they would be taken to each ward in a truck for three days each. The councilors felt this system would not work.
Veteran councilor Damu Shirodkar and others pointed out that a larger number of labourers are required for a longer period of time per ward as tasks like de-silting are time consuming.
The councillors then pulled up MMC labourers, drivers and supervisors for not doing their work properly.
The councillors said workers come lated but leave office building sharp at 6 pm. to sign out. They added that on any given day, there are many absentees amongst the labourers.
“We are the ones facing the flak from the public when the works in our wards are left unattended even though we have been promised by MMC that we get so many workers to complete a particular task. When we try to call and resolve the issue we are told the concerned MMC staff is not available. We are then forced to make our own arrangements,” said Shirodkar.
Chairperson asserted that labourers and staff are already being pulled up for coming late or not working properly but he put the onus on the Chief Officer to take the final action. Pereira added that he will soon be introducing biometric attendance for all the staff.
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Finance Department involved in corruption in MMC: Shirodkar
MARGAO: Veteran Margao Municipal Council (MMC) councilor Ghanashyam Shirodkar has charged the State Finance Department, especially the accounts section, of being hand in glove with the alleged corruption that is underway in MMC. “There has been no audit done by the Finance Department of MMC’s finances for the last three years and this year will be the fourth in a row. Smaller panchayats get audited once in two years but no one seems to want to hold MMC accountable. Why is that?” said Shirodkar. Shirodkar demanded Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant look into this matter and referred to the recent decision that was taken by the DMA to ask MMC to return a grant of Rs 3 crore as it was not utilised for a decade.
“On one side, the MMC is asking for funds and on the other side when they get the funds, they do not use it. When grants are given, MMC has to show utilisation certificates which will ensure that we get more grants in the future. These actions of the present will spell peril for MMC’s financial future,” he added.
