MARGAO
The Director, Urban Development has issued a notice to the Chairperson of Margao Municipal Council Lyndon Pereira in an appeal for his disqualification filed by Adv Seoula Vas.
The first hearing in this matter is slated for the March 7.
In her petition before the Director of Urban Development, Adv Seoula has alleged fraud in the tree cutting/trimming tenders wherein the Chairperson has allegedly manipulated minutes of the Council meeting held on 9th July 2021.
The petitioner has also charged that non existing trees have been fraudulently listed in the tenders, in an attempt to misappropriate Municipal funds.
It may be recalled that an enormous number of 135 trees were proposed to be cut or trimmed based upon two orders issued by the South District Collector Ruchika Katyal in the month of May 2021. Citizens and nature lovers including Prajal Sakardande, had raised concern over the cutting of trees, and had filed complaints before concerned authorities demanding for the trimming of the trees instead of cutting.
“We actually found the moves of the Council very suspicious when we first heard about the proposal of cutting/trimming of trees,” Savio Coutinho, convenor of Shadow Council for Margao stated.
“We had witnessed several trees being cut or trimmed by Municipal workers following the cyclone Tauktae,” he stated further.
Adv Seoula said upon receiving the lists of trees proposed for cutting/trimming under RTI act, we inspected the listed trees and were shocked to learn that several trees were already cut/trimmed. We also noted that trees that were actually posing risks to public life did not figure in the lists, while several other very healthy trees were listed for cutting, and many trees that were listed for trimming were actually cut wholly,” she added.
The additional information subsequently sought from the Council revealed alleged fraud by which the Chairperson Lyndon Pereira manipulated the Council minutes by inserting fake resolutions in the minutes of the Council meeting held on 9th July 2021, revealed Seoula.
“Over the years we have experienced how the Margao Municipal Council had been consistently indulging in frauds, and shamelessly it hardly mattered to them even after being exposed. As such through this petition for disqualification, we wish to send a message loud and clear to the elected body, that they cannot escape by swindling public funds, Adv Seoula Vas cautioned.
