PANAJI: Assuring the House of directing the registrar for co-operative societies to ensure that under no circumstances, the annual audit of the co-operative credit societies in Goa are delayed, the Chief Minister,
Mr Digambar Kamat on Friday said that he would call for a report pertaining to the transactions of the Curti Khandepar Urban Co-operative Credit Society, which is in presently in red.
The Chief Minister was replying during the Question Hour to the concern expressed by the Pernem MLA, Mr Dayanand Sopte as regards existence of altogether 11 co-operative credit societies in Goa, presently at risk as far as public deposits were concerned, and involving deposits of nearly Rs 13 lakh. Speaking further, the Chief Minister said that such cases, on one side damage the reputation of honest people involved in the co-operative movement, while on the other side, loots the poor people of their savings.
"We have already amended the Goa Co-operative Societies Act; however, a number of times, the directors of such societies have no accountability and disappear from the scene," he noted.
Maintaining that every year, on the basis of audit reports, the government learns about the financial status of the co-operative credit societies, the Chief Minister said that sometimes these societies delay the preparation of their annual financial statement for presenting to the registrar of co-operative societies, and as a result, the audit exercise gets delayed.
The leader of the opposition, Mr Manohar Parrikar pointed out that some of the directors of the Curti Khandepar Urban Co-operative Credit Society, who have criminal complaints filed against them for financial misappropriation, have gone ahead and taken loans from the Shiroda Urban Co-operative Credit Society.
He also stated that the Minister for Co-operatives, Mr Ravi Naik has given his premises at Dhavalimal to the Marketing Federation, on rent.
The Chief Minister assured the House that he would hold meeting with the police and registrar of co-operative societies to discuss the issues, about which concern was expressed by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs.
