Panaji: An elected member of the Santa Cruz village panchayat, Inacio Pereira, has lodged a police complaint against sarpanch Jennifer de Oliveira and others, alleging financial irregularities and abuse of official position over the failure to recover Rs 1.8 lakh in panchayat dues linked to a sports tournament.In his complaint to Old Goa police, Pereira alleged that the tournament, held at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium, was incorrectly advertised as taking place in Santa Cruz, although the venue falls outside the jurisdiction of the village panchayat.He said that during inquiries with the Sports Authority of Goa and the event organiser, he was informed that the organiser had obtained the necessary local permissions. However, the panchayat secretary allegedly confirmed that no no-objection certificate (NOC) had been issued.Pereira further stated that he had submitted a written complaint to the panchayat on July 22, pointing out that the event had been conducted without mandatory permission.Following this, the sarpanch allegedly issued a notice directing the organisers to comply with the legal requirements and pay Rs 1.8 lakh towards panchayat NOC charges for the period from September 7, 2025, to July 26, 2026.However, at a meeting on July 28, Pereira claimed he found that the amount had not been recovered, despite the organisers reportedly admitting liability.He accused the sarpanch and others of deliberately failing to collect the dues, causing financial loss to the panchayat and extending undue benefit to the organisers. He has sought police action, including registration of an FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other applicable laws.The sarpanch and panchayat secretary declined to comment on the matter.
