Team Herald
PONDA: Ponda Municipal Council (PMC) chairperson Radhika Naik on Thursday rubbished as baseless the allegations of three councillors accusing the council of running a major labour scam amounting to Rs 20 lakh.
Addressing media persons at a press briefing, along with deputy chairperson Shantaram Colvekar and the ruling Councillors, the chairperson said she was shocked to read media reports of a labour scam alleged by Shivanand Sawant and two other councillors.
Reacting to media reports, PMC immediately held a parade of all labourers in the presence of the chief officer. Following the parade of workers, it was found that there were 150 labourers.
It may be recalled that Shivanand Sawant along with councillors Vincent Paul Fernandes and Vidya Punalekar while addressing the media had alleged a major labour scam in PMC in which money amounting to Rs 20 lakh had been misappropriated in the name of 41 non-existing labourers whose attendance is fake and that around ten councillors of ruling group were involved in it.
Sawant had alleged that the scam has been going on in the PMC since January this year. Though the labour attendance in the council shows 148 labourers, there were only 107 existing, which means the wages of 41 others had been misappropriated.
Refuting Sawant’s allegations, the chairperson said, “The question of a labour scam does not arise, since some labourers were on leave and some were absent. We pay their salaries through the bank account. We will submit each and every detail to him for his satisfaction.”
He should first collect information from council and then seek clarification, but directly approaching the media without proper information has tarnished the council’s image, she added.
