Citizens For Margao has demanded a thorough investigation to unearth the entire scam and its beneficiaries.
Addressing a press conference, Citizens For Margao informed that it has submitted a complaint to the Director of Vigilance, Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services and also the Director of Municipal Administration demanding an investigation into the matter at the earliest.
Citizens For Margao has also demanded that all files pertaining to the said transaction may be seized from the MMC to avoid manipulation and fabrication of evidence.
Citizens For Margao has alleged that as per the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules, 2001, a local body such as MMC can work only in association with a recognized animal welfare organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act and recognised by the Animal Welfare Board of India.
“Neither is SGWTA recognized as an animal welfare organisation (AWO) by the Animal Welfare Board of India (as revealed by the list of AWOs published on its website), nor is it registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act. Therefore MMC could not have entered into any contractual relationship with SGWTA. The same is therefore per se illegal,” states the complaint.
“The chairperson Babita Prabhudessai should not have authorised payment to SGWTA, when her husband Dilip Prabhudessai is a secretary of SGWTA,” said Clifford Dias.
“On October 22 a MoU between SGWTA and MMC agreeing to capture, impound, shelter, sterilise, immunise feed stray dogs, operate, maintain the dog shelter, arrange for a veterinary surgeon, etc was signed. On November 22, Vijai Sardesai (MLA, Fatorda Constituency) and Dilip Prabhudessai were introduced as trustees of the SGWTA. On the same day, Vijai Sardesai was appointed as the president of SGWTA. Later, at a meeting of SGWTA held at Davondem, on May 24, 2013, Dilip Prabhudessai was appointed as SGWTA secretary for the term 2013-16” Dias informed.
“Having personally observed the extensive rise of in the number of stray dogs in Margao, we strongly believe that SGWTA has been illicitly receiving a sum of Rs 25,000-50,000 per month from the MMC, though no actual work of sterilisation, immunisation, etc. is carried out by them,” alleged Jason Cardozo.
He further informed that all payments have been effected by MMC, on submission of activity reports of SGWTA without any verification and scrutiny.
“The reports for the above said months presented by the SGWTA, through Sandra Fernandes, do not have the signatures of the veterinary surgeon, drivers and dog catchers to whom the payment is claimed to have been made by SGWTA, and the said persons are likely to be ghost workers,” Qurram Quazi of Citizens For Margao alleged.
Meanwhile, the MMC Chief Officer Yashwant Tawde said, “According to a court directive the Council has adopted a resolution and appointed the agency. The payments have not been made to individuals but to the trust against the fuel and salaries of driver as per the MoU.”
SGWTA secretary Dilip Prabhudessai said, “There is no question of scam here. As far as the Trust taking payments while I being the trust secretary and husband of MMC chairperson and alleging it as a scam is ridiculous”.
“My wife becoming the MMC chairperson in 2015 couldn’t have been planned in 2012 when I and Vijai were appointed as trustees. We have been spending over and above the expenses from our pockets” Dilip added.
