MARGAO
With the civic body’s coffers short of funds, the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) has knocked on the doors of the Director of Municipal Administration with a plea to utilize the Municipal salary reserve fund to disburse the salaries and wages of the municipal employees and workers.
The MMC has also approached the government with a plea to sanction the salary grants amounting to Rs two crore to bail out the civic body from the present situation.
For the second day, the MMC could not disburse the salaries and wages to the municipal workers.
Given the unprecedented financial situation, the MMC has now asked the Municipal Director to give the sanction to utilize the salary reserve fund as a last resort so that the salaries and wages are disbursed to the workers at the earliest.
Incidentally, the municipal salary fund is not flushed with funds as was in the past after the civic body is believed to have utilized the fund for the disbursement of salary.
Sources, however, pointed out that the MMC had failed to recoup the salary reserve fund as a result of which a little over Rs one crore amount is presently available in the fund.
MMC officials pointed out that the salary reserve fund may not help to clear the total salaries and wages of the employees and workers, but may pave the way for the disbursement of basic salaries sans the deductions.
“Given that this is the year-ending month, the MMC has found itself in a tight financial position. Our position will improve overnight if the government sanctions the salary grant amounting to over Rs two crore,” informed a senior MMC official.
MMC employees and workers, however, seemed hoping against hope that the Municipal Administration will make some arrangements towards the disbursement of salaries and wages in the next two days.
“We are keeping our fingers crossed over receiving our salaries and wages because the civic body is running short of funds. We hope the Municipal Director and the government will bail out the civic body,” remarked an employee.
