VASCO
Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) Chairperson Damodar Kaskar on Friday said the file pertaining to salary grants has been cleared, adding that fixed staff of MMC would get their salaries in a few days considering the holidays and the weekend.
“Aware of the festive season, we cleared the salaries of all daily wage workers long ago and these were pending only of the fixed staff. We have already given bonus to our staff and explained to them that while bonus was being given, salaries would be delayed by a few days as file has to be cleared,” said Kaskar.
“Besides clearing salaries of MMC workers, we have given bonus, uniform allowance and even cleared their arrears.”
“As far as salaries are concerned, the salary grants file has just been cleared today and salaries would be given to our fixed staff in a few days as we have two days of Saturday and Sunday when some offices are not working,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Vasco Congress block members hit out at the State government for failing to provide salaries to MMC staff and employees despite the festive season of Diwali.
GPCC Minority President Nazir Khan said Urban Development Minister Milind Naik had assured that salaries would be cleared by Wednesday.
“MMC workers provide various services including cleaning of garbage and gutters and their salaries have to be cleared on top priority and must be offered to them on the first of every month.”
“It is unfair that MMC which is the highest revenue generator of funds across Goa has no money for salaries,” said Khan, during a news conference.
Former MMC chairperson Nandadeep Raut said salaries work out to around Rs 1.5 crore and the council would earlier get salary grants twice and octroi money every six months.
“But we got our last octroi share of Rs 6 crore in 2017 and we had informed the government that octroi should be given to us regularly. Nearly 30 percent of salaries can be cleared with octroi funds and if we don’t get octroi, how can MMC generate revenue? We will come on roads of salaries are not cleared by this week,” said Raut.
Former MMC Chairperson Saifullah Khan and Vasco Congress Block President Ularico Rodrigues also addressed the news conference.
