Team Goemkarponn
MARGAO: The Margao Congress Block charged that the BJP’S claims of being a party with a difference stands true for the fact that apart from all the scams the Party indulges in, they don’t spare even their Prime Minister Narendra Modi to siphon away public fund’s.
Congress leader Savio Coutinho said while giving details of a fraudulent work claimed to have been executed during the visit of the Prime Minister last year in connection with the Viksit Bharat/IEW program at Margao.
Exhibiting documents obtained from the PWD under RTI, Coutinho stated that after undergoing great difficulty and after several RTI applications and Appeal’s, we are furnished information in bits and pieces.
Over 120 crores is claimed to have been spent on various works executed by the PWD in Margao and surrounding constituencies, even though some of the works had absolutely no connection with the PMs visit nor IEW program.
One such work we found to be a open and fearless mode of defrauding the public exchequer is the work tittled “IMPROVEMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND KTC BUSSTAND ON ARRIVAL OF PRIME MINISTER”
This work worth 95 lakhs, with a time limit of 10 days, is claimed to have been executed and completed from 30/1/2024 to 08/02/2024.
“The fact that the possibility of 16 JCB’s and 16 tipper trucks working simultaneously at the KTC Busstand is beyond anyone’s imagination for a very simple reason that there was hardly any scope of such work where so many JCB’s and trucks would be required.
Secondly in addition to this work another 2 works of providing hot mix carpet for the KTC Busstand and Depot area were in the process of execution”, Mr Coutinho said.
“So also with the shamiana and barricades in place from the 4th-5th of February and thereafter, the only possibility remains is of a rehearsal parade of 16 JCB’s and 16 tipper trucks along with 110 workers on 4th-5th February, final Parade in honor of the Hon’ble Prime Minister on 6th February, and the removal of the shamiana and chairs on 7th and 8th February using JCB’s and trucks”, Coutinho said sarcastically.
Congress Party demanded and dared the Chief Minister to order an inquiry into the fraud, while also demanding for an explanation of the huge hike in the cost of the Rawanfond road over bridge from 21.30 crores in 2021 to 54 crores in 2022.
“I appeal to all the press and media friends to kindly care to seek clarifications from Margao MLA Digamber Kamat and the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on these issues”, Coutinho pleads.
outinho further stated that the PWD has furnished “NOTES” of MLA’S of Fatorda and Benaulim constituencies, trying to suggest that certain works are executed at their request. “We call upon the MLA’S to ascertain if these works are fully executed and completed, or whether billed directly”, Mr Coutinho said.
We time and again hear of tall claims from the BJP government that hundreds and thousands of crores are spent on development works, while in reality the works visible never correspond to the monies spent.
“While public fund’s get siphoned off through dubious works, additional borrowings are resorted to thereby increasing the debt burden on the state” rues the Congress party.
Margao Congress Block warned of legal proceedings in the event of failure on the part of the government to act on this fraud, Coutinho said.
