TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
CANACONA: Strongly defending the developmental works in the village, Cotigao Panchayat members have flayed charges of corruption and of substandard quality in the works.
Cotigao Sarpanch Meena Gaonkar accompanied by five other panchas in the seven-member panchayat took a team of print and electronic media around to show three of the nine developmental works recently carried out in the village.
It may be recalled that a villager had submitted a complaint to the Vigilance Department alleging corruption and misappropriation of various tender works undertaken by the panchayat, many of the works uncompleted, while others are of substandard quality and still others do not exist at all, while all the sanctioned/approved amounts have been paid in full for the works.
Following the complaint, a team of officials from the Vigilance Department reportedly inspected the alleged works in the village on two different occasions.
Taking the print and media team to Arali, sarpanch Gaonkar showed the steps and a retaining wall constructed and completed by spending about Rs 5 lakh. The sarpanch emphasized the works are carried out according to government norms. The team was also taken to Gadiwada-Yeda, where another work for construction of retaining wall for a nullah is shown.
“We had carried out developmental works worth Rs 65 lakh in our village, but some people are just making wild allegations of corruption and sub-standard qualities of works against us,” Gaonkar stated.
“Due to our efforts, we got 10 additional traffic and other signboards installed in the village against 42 sanctioned,” she added.
When contacted, the complainant Kalpesh Gaonkar stated that as per the RTI information he obtained from BDO, 64 signboards are installed, but in reality only 42 signboards are seen installed in the village.
Gaonkar sought to know why the panchayat was silent on expenses of Rs 3.72 lakh which was withdrawn for construction of a gutter behind Avali bus stop, when there is no gutter at all behind the bus stop at Avali.
The panchayat reiterated that real facts will come out, as the issue is now investigated and inspected by the Vigilance department.
