Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: Adv. Aires Rodrigues has today urged the Goa Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to investigate the entire expenditure incurred and the procedure followed in holding that gala Swearing-in-ceremony of Goa Chief Minister and his eight Ministers, which was held on March 28th at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Bambolim.
In a complaint submitted to the Auditor General of Goa , Adv. Rodrigues has stated that responsibility needs to be fixed on those responsible for this colossal waste of public funds.
Adv. Rodrigues, along with his complaint, has submitted a copy of the documents obtained by him under the Right to Information Act from the General Administration Department at the Goa Secretariat to the effect that the swearing-in ceremony has cost the taxpayers a whopping Rs 5, 59, 25, 805 (Rupees five crore fifty-nine lakhs twenty five thousand eight hundred five).
Pointing out that this amount does not include rental charges of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium at Bambolim where the function was held and the expenditure incurred on the advertisements released in the print, electronic media, radio channels and the huge fleet of vehicles hired for the police security cover of VVIPs, Adv. Rodrigues has, in his complaint, stated that the total expenditure incurred on that swearing-in ceremony may total around seven crores.
Alleging that there was no transparency and accountability whatsoever in the holding of that event, Adv. Rodrigues has further stated that the entire process of appointing the event management company M/S Vinsan Graphics was apparently stage-managed and a mere eye-wash.
Drawing the attention that by the work order given on March 26th it was physically impossible to put up such a mega show in under 48 hours, Adv. Rodrigues has stated that the pompous function was reportedly being planned immediately after the declaration of the Assembly election results on March 11th, and the delay in holding the swearing-in ceremony was clearly to give M/S Vinsan Graphics time to put the show together.
Stating that the public has to benefit from all money spent by the State, Adv. Rodrigues has stated that the Goa Government has a lot to explain on what benefit it was to Goa’s people with the over 5.5 crores needlessly squandered on this 18-minute event.
Adv. Rodrigues has also drawn the attention of the CAG that Taxpayers’ money recklessly drained on that function was a criminal waste of public funds, while poor beneficiaries of social welfare schemes have not received their monthly dole for the last five months on account of the State coffers being empty.
