PANAJI
The Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services has allowed Sea Scan Maritime Services, which leased part of the department’s training facilities at St Inez, Panaji, to pay less than what was mandated as per the agreement resulting in a loss of Rs 12.32 crore, a preliminary audit report has found.
The report noted that the head of the Directorate of Fire Services, who is responsible for the assessment and recovery and to ensure that the receipts and dues of the Government are correctly and promptly assessed, failed to discharge his duties.
The DEFS, on the request of M/s Sea Scan Marine Services, allotted two barracks of the Fire Training Centre to the company for imparting training in firefighting and specialised marine training courses.
As per the agreement signed in 2000, the company had to pay monthly charges at the rate of Rs 51,500 per 30 candidates or Rs 1,717 per day per 30 candidates whichever is greater, besides also to bear the electricity and maintenance charges. A decade later in 2011 the charges were revised to Rs 75,000 per 30 candidates
Accordingly, the DEFS collected monthly charges at the rate of Rs 51,500 with effect from October 2,000 to June 2011 and at the rate of Rs 75,000 per month thereafter.
However, the auditors found that the DEFS didn’t bother to check how many candidates Sea Scan Marine Services was training at the leased premises and only charged them on the basis that there were 30 candidates.
“The company conducted four training courses during the period April 2015 to January 2019 with varying strength of candidates (ranged between 77 and 458 per month). The DFES, however, never worked out the monthly charges based on the actual number of candidates but collected at the rate of Rs 75,000 per month which was applicable for only 30 candidates,” the auditors found.
“DFES also did not assess and collect the electricity and maintenance charges separately any time during the contract period from the company.
