MARGAO: Even as the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) grapples with the alleged Rs 17 lakh scam in connection with the Margao Feast Fair, in a startling revelation, it was revealed on Wednesday that an amount of over Rs 17 lakh was deposited into one bank account of a MMC staff, instead of the municipal treasury, though there were ten staff members who collected the money from the feast vendors
Following this revelation, the implicated staff member has been placed under suspension. However surprisingly MMC has not mentioned the cause of suspension in the letter, according to sources in the civic body.
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It is now being anticipated that a senior lawyer unaffiliated with the civic body will be appointed as the inquiry officer to investigate the matter.
MMC Chairperson, Damodar Shirodkar informed O Heraldo that he has instructed the Chief Officer to initiate an independent inquiry into the matter. He emphasised that the head of the inquiry panel will not be an official from the civic body, ensuring impartiality and transparency in the investigation.
Chief Officer of MMC, Gaurish Sankhwalkar issued orders late Tuesday evening for the suspension of the implicated staff member and warned of potential criminal proceedings.
On Wednesday, Shirodkar informed that he has submitted a note to the Chief Officer, requesting an independent inquiry into the matter rather than an inquiry conducted through the Margao civic body.
“I have proposed Adv Vinod Daniel to lead the committee tasked with probing the alleged scam. This ensures a fair inquiry while avoiding any potential involvement of officials from the civic body,” he informed.
On the other hand, residents of Margao have expressed their anger over the issue and demanded strict action against the culprit.
They have also demanded that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Urban Development Minister Vishwajit Rane order an inquiry and take strict action against those responsible.
