MARGAO
With Margao Municipal LDC Yogesh Shetkar finally apprehended by the police after six months in hiding, the Margao Municipal Council is grappling with a crucial question: how to recover the Rs 17.96 lakh he embezzled by failing to deposit the funds into the municipal treasury.
While the LDC’s arrest is a significant development, it does not guarantee the recovery of the embezzled amount. The Municipality now faces tough decisions”whether to initiate formal recovery proceedings or attempt to claim his savings in Provident Fund and other accounts.
Adding to the challenges is the question of disciplinary action. With Shetkar in custody and remanded for seven days, officials must decide how to proceed against him internally.
According to sources, Margao MLA Digambar Kamat has reviewed the situation with Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirodkar and Chief Officer Melvyn Vaz, following the arrest.
The arrest has sparked several discussions in the corridors of Margao Municipality. Officials and councillors are awaiting the outcome of the police investigation, hoping it may lead to the recovery of at least part of the stolen funds. However, there is growing realisation that the arrest alone may not resolve the issue.
The embezzlement, which occurred during the Holy Spirit Feast Fair, has also raised questions about the accountability of municipal officials.
Concerns are being voiced about whether municipal authorities can avoid responsibility for the actions of the LDC, especially since he was not authorised to collect revenue from hawkers at the fair. The delay in ensuring the funds were deposited into the treasury has further highlighted lapses in oversight.
The Margao Municipal Council now faces not only the task of recovering the lost funds but also addressing internal shortcomings to prevent such incidents in the future.
Margao civic body lays down guidelines for upcoming fair revenue collection
MARGAO: Once bitten, twice shy, so goes the old age saying. With the Feast of Holy Spirit Church scheduled next week, beginning from Monday, the Margao Municipal Council has laid down guidelines for the Municipal officials and staff entrusted with the responsibility of collecting revenue from the fair.
Margao Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirodkar told The Goan that the Civic body has streamlined the revenue collection system from the feast fair after the last incident wherein the LDC embezzled funds to the tune of Rs 17.96 lakhs by failing to deposit the amount in the Municipal treasury.
“We have taken serious note of the lapses that were committed by the administration during the feast fair. This time, we have laid down guidelines for the collection of the revenue from the feast fair. Only the designated staff will collect the revenue and deposit the amount in the treasury. That’s not all. The staff has been directed to submit a report to the immediate higher officer of the day’s revenue collection from the fair,” the MMC Chairperson told The Goan.
