MARGAO
The Shadow Council for Margao on Thursday urged the Urban Development Minister Vishwajit Rane to order an inquiry into the waste collection work order issued to an agency by Margao Municipal Council, without any tender process.
SCM convenor Savio Coutinho made this demand on lines with the TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane’s announcement for an inquiry into the sopo contract award, without tender process, and who also happens to be the Urban Development Minister.
Coutinho said Municipal treasury continues to be milked of its funds by the illegally appointed door-to-door collection agency, and the concerned authorities turn a deaf ear to the series of complaints filed in this regard.
“A whooping Rs 3.60 crore payment has been made to this agency by the Council from November 2019 till May 2022, and all those responsible for this fraud should be taken to task,” Coutinho demanded.
He added: “This same agency was earlier caught while billing the Council nearly Rs 2 lakh extra per month on ghost workers in Fatorda wards, and their services were terminated with the filing of a police complaint. “Very interestingly though, this same agency was rewarded by the powers in Margao, with a much bigger job, that too without following the tender process,” Coutinho said.
He said an inquiry into this scam of awarding work without tender process will reveal many other offences, as such the Urban Development Minister needs to order an inquiry on top priority.
