Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee has demanded to initiate vigilance inquiry against Choka Ram Garg, IAS by termination of his services and also that the State Government should immediately relieve him as Law Secretary of the State, for creating mess over Municipality reservation on behest of BJP government.
The President of GPCC Girish Chodankar on Wednesday addressed a press conference in Congress House-Panaji and placed demands of Congress. He has written in this regard to the Union Home Secretary and Chief Secretary of Goa.
“It is the most disheartening and disturbing feature that the highest law officer of the State namely the Law Secretary should be not only flouting the constitutional mandate but also bending and crawling to illegal diktats of the State Government.” Girish Chodankar stated in a letter. He said Government officers specifically IAS officers cannot become ‘Totaram’
Adv. Carlos Alvares Ferreira, Chairman of State Legal Cell, Vijay Bhike District President and Tanvir Khatib and Domnic Noronha were present on the occasion.
Chodankar said that IAS officers should guide and enlighten the ministers over the constitution, however Mr. Garg failed to protect it. “If the Chief Minister is dumb, then IAS officers should guide him. These officers should not become partners in illegalities of CM.” Chodankar said.
According to Chodankar, the Ministry of Home Affairs should immediately terminate Garg for having flouted and violated the Constitution as per High court and Supreme Court order. “government should conduct a vigilance inquiry against Garg and if found that there is any corrupt act involved including amassing of wealth in his name or the name of his family member, he be prosecuted in accordance with law.” He said.
He also said that the Choka Ram Garg, while on the seat of State Election Commissioner, had completely flouted the constitutional mandate and attempted to over-reach the High Court and had misinterpreted the Order of the Supreme Court.
Chodankar said that Congress party had demanded that reservation should have been announced much in advance, so that the aspirants can decide on their candidature. “But this government failed to do it and now used money from taxpayers to satisfy its ego by challenging the High Courts order in the Supreme Court. Now Mr. Garg and CM should pay this expense from their pockets.” He said.
Adv. Carlos Alvares Ferreira stated that the statement of CM that “democracy has been restored”’is completely a wrong statement. CM should learn to respect other Constitutional authorities. He compared the statement of CM to the style of the Proaganda Minister Goebbels who believed that a lie if repeated is believed to be true and it was wrong to mislead the public as if the High Court had failed democracy. Shri Ferreira highlighted the Order of the Supreme Court which pointed out the manner in which the Choka Ram Garg, IAS has undermined the Constitution and hence he claimed, was unfit to hold the post as Law Secretray of Goa and also even as an IAS officer.
