CANACONA
Panchayat members from Cotigao and Shristhal have alleged a fraud in the Art and Culture Department, after claiming that lakhs of rupees were siphoned off for activities which never conducted in Canacona.
Addressing a press conference in Canacona, Cotigao Sarpanch Anandu Dessai, Shristhal Sarpanch Sejal Gaonkar alleged that the art and culture department had claimed there were various programmes at Yedda (Cotigao), Gaondongrim and Shristhal areas, when in reality there was no such activity.
Both Dessai and Gaonkar said they had informed Speaker and Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar about this forgery, and would also apprise Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to affix responsibility on the siphoning of lakhs of rupees without actually conducting any of the activities through the department.
COTIGAO
“According to papers in my hands, Rs 10.60 lakh had been sanctioned by the department for a programme allegedly conducted at Yedda-Cotigao, when no such program was held,” said Sarpanch Anandu Dessai.
He claimed that other groups mentioned in the sanction letters for conduct of programmes are Mahamaya Kadapida Sanskruti Sangh (Yedda), Shri Mukti Self-Help Group (Yedda), Adivasi Mahila Manch (Yedda), Parvati Parivar (Yedda), Sanjivani Self Help Group (Bhutpal- Cotigao, Adivasi Manch (Cotigao), Shri Mallikarjun Self Help Group (Bhupar-Gaondongrim), Mahamaya Self Help Group (Gaondongrim), Mallikarjun Self Help Group (Shristhal), Omkar BPL Self Help Group (Avali-Cotigao), Gaondongrim Sangam Kankon Chal (Gaondongrim) and Shivnath Self Help Group.
“According to our knowledge, no programme was conducted at these respective places,” claimed Dessai.
“Also shown is that two more programmes were held at two places ‘Tribal Research Centre, Cotigao’, and ‘Parvati Parivar, Cotigao’ (without dates), while dates are mentioned for all other 11 programmes beginning from July 23, 2023.”
Dessai claimed that while conducting any programmes with government funds, in this case the Art and Culture department, intimation and invitation to the MLA, sarpanch and panchas is necessary.
“However, none of us were invited nor even informed of these events. We feel a major fraud has taken place, and we ask the government to take this seriously and conduct a thorough investigation into this major forgery and give justice to us,” Dessai said.
SHRISTHAL
Shristhal Sarpanch Sejal Gaonkar told reporters that a programme was reportedly conducted by a Self-Help Group of Vaizavado on August 6, 2023 and Rs 1.5 lakh was sanctioned for the event.
“Despite being the sarpanch of the village, I was not informed nor an NOC or panchayat letter was issued for any such programme. When contacted, the Self Help Group President denied having conducted any such programme on the day or any time in her Ward 6 (Vaizawada ward),” said Gaonkar.
A panch at Yedda-Cotigao claimed that not a single programme of all the 5 programs, which was shown in his ward, had taken place.
“Moreover, the dates mentioned of these programmes are all in the monsoon months of July and August and organising these many programs in the rainy season is not possible at all in my ward,” the panch said.
Another Cotigao panch informed that sanction letter shows that Rs 1.75 lakhs had been spent for a programme in her ward which, in reality, was never held.
