PANAJI: Stating that the financial position of Corporation of the City of Panaji is in precarious condition, the CCP Commissioner, Mr Sanjeeth Rodrigues on Friday said that the monitory requirement of the Corporation for the ongoing financial year is Rs 42.25 crore, with the municipal body facing a deficit of Rs 19.51 crore.

The CCP presently has an actual amount of Rs 12.82 crore in its possession, while it has fixed deposits worth Rs 9.91 crore in various banks.
Discussing the financial status of the CCP during the ordinary meeting of the council, the CCP Commissioner said that the municipal body presently requires `9 crore for paying the salaries of its staff, this financial year, with only `2 crore existing in the account for the purpose. He also informed that `31 lakh is the current requirement of the Corporation for payment of pension money, this financial year, with only `5.95 lakh in the possession of the CCP under this head.
It was also informed that the CCP needs to clear the arrears of its staff as related to the sixth pay commission, by September 30, and the amount required to do so is `1.87 crore.
The CCP Commissioner further observed that the system of maintaining and using the CCP money was in a mess, and the Corporation had even received notices from the labour department for mismanaging the account of the cess money. “We are now creating separate accounts for each head like salaries, pensions, provident funds and so on,” he informed, pointing out that double entry system, which is mandatory under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, is being adopted by the CCP to create a sense of recognition to accounts and stop misuse of money.
Meanwhile, the council agreed to pay `5,000 to each of the CCP staff, in the form of one-time bonus, in commemoration of the golden jubilee of Goa’s liberation.
The CCP Commissioner informed the councillors that the government has not made any provision in the form of a grant, for the same and the Corporation will have to pay this bonus from its own exchequer with a financial implication of `19 lakh.
Mr Rodrigues also agreed to present a report as regards allotment of shops and spaces in the two phases of the new municipal market, within three months. “We have cleared some encroachments in the market,” he informed, adding that the mapping as regards the legality of these shops and spaces has not been done so far, and if the market committee of the CCP cannot go ahead with this inquiry, then he would have to carry out a related survey and place a report before the Corporation.
It was also stated that the real problem now is the shifting of the market tenants, for construction of the third phase of the municipal market, housing fish and meat sellers.