Team Herald
MARGAO: Margao Municipal Council (MMC) has awarded the Sopo collection contract to a Quepem resident at Rs 65.17 lakh for 10 months.
The contract was bagged by one Aaron Fernandes from Quepem. The process of sopo allotment was headed by Margao Municipal Council Chief Officer Johnson Fernandes. There were 5 bidders, who took part in the auction. Two bidders were disqualified for having no experience in Sopo collection. In a meeting held earlier this week, the decision against allowing inexperienced bidders to participate in auction process was taken. That left 3 bidders at the auction. The bid reached at Rs 65.17 lakh and the contract was bagged by Aaron Fernandes. The Chief Officer has informed that this contract will last for next 10 months.
Meanwhile, the Shadow Council has claimed that their exposé has fetched dividends yet again for the Margao Municipal Council.
“With the Margao Municipal Council sopo auction for 10 months finishing at Rs 65.17 lakh, the elected council is required to explain the reasons as to why it has been so generous to the outgoing contractor in the past,” asked SCM.
“Whenever the contractor would say that he is unable to pay as the collection is low, this Council accepted the excuse. Recently, even the GST was waived by the Council, and the GST was borne by the Council by fraudulently making the GST component as part of the instalment amount,” SCM alleged.
