MARGAO
Margao Municipal officials and staff have come under the scanner after it has come to light that huge revenue collections from the Purumentachem Fest fair at the Old Market running into lakhs of rupees have not yet been deposited in the municipal treasury.
While the revenue collected in the first two days of the fair, amounting to Rs 17 lakhs is reflected in the account, the fate of the balance amount, pegged at around Rs 17 lakh, remains unknown.
Questions are being raised in the corridors of the civic body and outside where has all the money gone; whether the concerned staff has not deposited the amount in the municipal accounts and why the officials have not raised any queries so far.
Civic officials are trying to figure out whether the amount collected by the concerned staff has been deposited in his private account or whether the money is still in his possession.
Margao Municipal Chief Officer Gaurish Sankhwalkar, who resumed duties on Monday after proceeding on leave for two weeks, has confirmed that the balance amount of around Rs 17 lakhs is still not deposited in the municipal treasury.
In fact, the Chief Officer said he has given the concerned staff a 24-hour deadline to deposit the money in the municipal treasury, failing which action will be initiated against the staffer as per law. He further told 'The Goan' that he has told officials to reconcile with the revenue receipts collected from the Feast fair to find out the exact amount of money the staffer is required to hand over to the civic body. “No one has the right to keep the municipal money in their possession. Revenue collected every day from the fair ought to have been deposited in the treasury,” he said.
What has come as a big surprise is how the major financial issue escaped the minds of the officials in charge of the team deputed to oversee the arrangements at the fair.
“It is indeed surprising that not a single official had demanded to know from the staffer the revenue collected from the fair. Or maybe the higher officials were aware of the issue but preferred to turn a blind eye for reasons best known to them,” remarked a municipal official, adding that the episode only goes to show that senior officials are not bothered over the revenue due to the civic body.
Given that the 24-hour deadline issued by the Chief Officer would end on Tuesday evening, all eyes are now focused on the Chief Officer over his future course of action.
