MARGAO
Blame it on Covid-19 pandemic or simply the failure to tone up the revenue recoveries, the Margao Municipal Council had to go for premature withdrawal of a fixed deposit to pay the salaries of the municipal employees.
This is the first time in many months now that the civic body had to fall back on a fixed deposit certificate to clear the salary payments of the employees amounting to around Rs 1.30 crore.
What’s interesting to note is the fact that the MMC has gone for the premature withdrawal of the fixed deposit certificate amounting to Rs 2.14 crore, which was made during the tenure of then Chief Officer Sidhivinayak Naik.
Sources in the know pointed out that the MMC had to go for the premature withdrawal of the fixed deposit certificate after the available balance with the civic body fell short of the requirements to pay the staff salaries, amounting to around Rs 1.30 crore.
Left with no option, the salaries of the MMC staff were paid after withdrawing the fixed deposit certificate, a situation that has come to haunt the civic body after a long time.
In the past too, the MMC had to go for premature withdrawal of fixed deposit certificates to clear the staff salaries. However, the concerted revenue recovery drive initiated by then Chief Officer Sidhivinayak Naik during the tenure of ex-Chairperson Babita Angle Prabhudesai had enriched the civic coffers by a couple of crores, and the surplus money was put in the bank as fixed deposit to use it for salary payments in times of crisis.
MMC sources pointed out that the tax and revenue collection in the civic body has been hit in recent months because of the pandemic situation,. Though citizens volunteer to clear the tax dues in the civic body, the revenue collection has not increased as compared to the corresponding period.
In this connection, sources in the MMC have demanded that the civic body resume the tax and revenue collections in the evening session as well to help the citizens pay their tax dues without much difficulty.
Employees’ union threatens strike if Chief Officer is not transferred
MARGAO: The Goa Municipal Employees Association has on Monday decided to go on a strike if the government fails to transfer Chief Officer Ajit Panchwadkar.
A meeting of the association was held in the association office at the Margao municipal building on Monday, wherein the members decided to serve a notice on the government to transfer the Chief Officer or face a strike.
Association general secretary Anil Shirodkar told the media after the meeting that the employees’ panel will soon serve a notice on the government to transfer the CO.
“The employees will go on strike in the event the government does not pay heed to our request,” he said, adding that the association had in the past lodged written complaint against the Chief Officer but in vain.
