MARGAO: Margao’s municipal councillors have expressed frustration and displeasure following a needless financial setback of Rs five lakh for the already cash-strapped civic body. The latest incident involves a court-ordered payment of nearly five lakh rupees in interest, along with a bill of Rs 8.29 lakh, to a contractor responsible for gutter works.
Sources suggest that a group of councillors has decided to hold the responsible officials accountable for their role in delaying the settlement of the contractor’s bills, resulting in the avoidable loss for the municipal council. Margao Chairperson Damodar Shirodkar informed the press that the matter will be thoroughly discussed during the upcoming ordinary meeting scheduled for August 25.
The meeting’s agenda includes seeking retrospective approval for payments made to contractors, as per a Civil Court order dating back to September 19, 2022.
The issue stems from pending bills related to gutter construction in wards 19 and 22. The delay in payment was attributed to the contractor’s failure to submit EPF details. As a result, the contractor resorted to legal action, leading the Civil Court to instruct the council to settle the bill alongside an interest of 10%. Following this, the dues, along with an interest amount of Rs 4,63,539, were deposited from the GIA fund.
Councillor Sagun Naik voiced his disappointment, stating, “We don’t understand why the bills were kept pending. The concerned officials should have resolved the issue if there were any technical problems.”
He questioned the rationale behind delaying the bills when the court’s ruling essentially validated the contractor’s claims. Ghanashyam Shirodkar, a senior councillor, echoed these sentiments, emphasising that diplomatic negotiations should have preceded legal proceedings.
