the goan I network
MARGAO
In a major development, the Margao Municipal Council has finally lodged a complaint against the door-to-door garbage collection contractor Bapu Engineering and Environment Services for allegedly raising a wage bill for 45 workers when only 31 workers were engaged for the job of collecting waste door-to-door.
Fatorda police station, PI Navlesh Desai, confirmed that the police is in receipt of the complaint made by the Margao Municipality, but hastened to add that the police has sent the complaint to the Public Prosecutor for opinion before registering the FIR against the contractor.
MMC Chief Officer, Johnson Fernandes is believed to have lodged the police complaint more than a week after he had put up an official noting clearly staying that it is advisable to lodge an FIR against the garbage collection contractor. Though the Chairperson Babita Angle Prabhudesai was believed to have remained silent on the Chief Officer’s suggestion, reliable sources said that TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai had sought details pertaining to the case, only to be convinced that a prima face exists against the contractor for raising a bill for 45 workers when only 31 workers were engaged for the door-to-door waste collection. Sources said the TCP Minister, whose Goa Forward group controls the affairs of the Margao Municipality, has also not taken lightly to the fact that the bid received from Bapu Environmental services had no Municipal stamp indicating the inward number, raising questions whether the bid was entered after the due date, as claimed by the Shadow Council of Margao headed by former MMC chairperson Savio Coutinho.
When The Goan contacted MMC Chief Officer Johnson Fernandes to shed light on the development, he confirmed that a complaint has been lodged with the Fatorda police to investigate and prosecute the contractor for trying to allegedly raise a bill for 45 workers when municipal records state that he had drafted only 31 workers for the job.
The Margao Municipal Council had entered into an MoU with Bapu Engineering and Environment Services to provide 45 workers on a daily wage of Rs 500 for the collection of waste door-to-door from six municipal wards, all located in the Fatorda area of the municipal body.
Controversy over the payments came to the fore when the contractor raised bills of two months stating that he had engaged 45 workers for the door-to-door waste collection, while a municipal site supervisor reporting that only 31 workers were engaged for the job.
