MAPUSA
Former Mapusa Municipal Councillor Tarak Arolkar on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on outgoing Mapusa Municipal Council Chief Officer Chandrakant Shetkar, alleging that the officer was attempting to illegally extend the services of six contract workers despite opposition from the elected council.
Addressing the media, Arolkar claimed that the six workers were appointed on a contractual basis during the tenure of former chairperson Nutan Bicholkar and that a majority of councillors had objected to the appointments at the time.
According to Arolkar, the council had even passed a resolution opposing the move.
"Now I have learnt that a file has been placed before Chief Officer Chandrakant Shetkar to extend the services of these six workers further, and he has agreed to clear the file," Arolkar alleged.
In a significant development, the State Government on Tuesday evening issued orders relieving Shetkar of his responsibilities as Chief Officer of the Mapusa Municipal Council and posting a new officer in his place.
Arolkar warned that if the outgoing chief officer approves the proposal to regularise the six contract workers before demitting office, he would challenge the decision before the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) and also take up the matter with the Urban Development Minister.
Making serious allegations against the outgoing chief officer, Arolkar claimed that Shetkar had a reputation for executing controversial decisions. He urged the government to initiate a thorough inquiry and take strict action if any wrongdoing is established.
Arolkar further alleged that the chief officer had issued four trade licences for a single house number in Mapusa, describing it as another instance of gross administrative irregularity that warrants investigation.
Attempts to obtain Shetkar's response were unsuccessful, as repeated calls to his phone failed to connect.
Apart from the alleged irregularities, Arolkar also criticised the municipal administration for its failure to manage the city's garbage collection effectively. He alleged that despite repeatedly bringing to the municipality's notice the dumping of garbage in an open space at Gaunsa-vaddo, no corrective action was taken.
Referring to the recent death of a youth named Samuel following a dispute allegedly linked to the garbage issue, Arolkar said the tragedy could have been avoided had the civic authorities acted in time.
"If officers perform their duties responsibly, such unfortunate incidents would never occur," he said.
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