Team Herald
MARGAO: Shadow Council for Margao has asked for cancellation of the “No Dues Certificates” issued to ex-councillors of Margao Municipal Council on grounds that some of the councillors still have to pay dues to the Margao Municipal Council.
In an appeal to the Chief Officer, Shadow Council for Margao convener Savio Coutinho said some of the councillors still owe advertisement taxes to the council besides clearing the dues of the various “junkets” they enjoyed as councillors.
Savio said MMC has paid over Rs 15 lakh to the councillors for their various so called study tours which he said in reality were nothing but holiday junkets. Worse still, he said the accounts for these trips have not been submitted by most councillors.
“Subsequent to our complaints and in view of the ensuing elections, fabricated bills were submitted by them to get the “No Dues Certificate”, claimed Savio and alleged that the certificate was issued without verifying any of the bills.
He cited the case of Lyndon Pereira who collected around Rs 60,000 for one such trip and submitted bills amounting to Rs 46,000 and refunded the balance Rs 14,000. However, Savio alleged that the bills submitted by Lyndon were not conformed as per the Swamy Book guidelines and he was issued a “No Dues Certificate.”
He said as the council did not submit copies of the bills as sought under the Right to Information Act they have now appealed to get the information and demanded that till the information is provided the “No Dues Certificates issued” to ex-councillors be cancelled.
