Electricity dept suspends 2 for Rs 8 lakh graft

Colva: The office of the superintendent engineer of the electricity department at Aquem has suspended a lower division clerk (LDC) and a head clerk (HC) over alleged misappropriation of more than Rs 8 lakh collected as consumer bill payments in Chinchinim.Superintendent engineer Rajiv Samant confirmed the irregularities, which went unnoticed since June–July 2025, came to light during an audit.According to Samant, the LDC, identified as Rizwana Perviz, had collected payments from consumers but allegedly failed to deposit the money in the bank. As per procedure, daily cash transactions close at 4pm, after which the amount is counted, logged, and deposited the following working day. However, officials found that the cash was not being deposited, nor were the corresponding bank slips handed over to HC Jose Sebastiano Fernandes for entry into the department’s records.The alleged lapse was detected during an audit inspection, when discrepancies in the books revealed that the collected funds had never reached the bank. Following an internal inquiry, the LDC reportedly repaid the misappropriated amount.Both officials have been suspended pending further investigation and directed to report to the head office in Panaji for departmental proceedings.