Goemkarponn desk
MARGAO: Congress Party today charged the government of wholesale LOOT and corruption during the Viksit Goem/IEW event held in February, during which the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modiji had visited Goa. Mr. Coutinho referred to the 120 crores expenses shown as incurred towards 33 works executed, 23 of these works being executed without following Codal formalities.
Congress leader from Margao Savio Coutinho along with Camilo Camara, Lalan Parsekar, Robert Vaz, Anwar Naroo, Sujata Parsekar, Anees Tanwar, during a press briefing at the District Congress office, gave details of the various work’s which are being claimed to have been executed.
Coutinho stated that there is sufficient video evidence with every news channel showing the place where the helicopter of the Hon’ble PM landed. Except for a concrete ramp from the landing point to the vehicle point, no other significant work was executed, yet the PWD shows an expenditure of 52.63 lakhs.
The place where the makeshift Busstand was set up was already leveled and also used as parking lot during the National Games, however the PWD showed that an expenditure to the tune of 46.92 lakhs for development of this location. In addition to this another expenditure of 41.32 lakhs is shown towards the erection of pandals at this temporary bus stand, for 9 days.
Coutinho further charged that the work for providing Hotmix carpet for the KTC Busstand was covered through a work tendered earlier, worth around 70 lakhs, however another work is now being claimed to have been executed(including bus depot) for a whopping amount of 6.38 crores.
Apart from the Hotmix carpet work of the KTC Busstand, another 2 works are shown as executed that is repairs of Busstand at a cost of 31.70 lakhs, and improvement of infrastructure around KTC Busstand for 70.84 lakhs. The actual infrastructure improvement done by this contractor was limited to the cutting of the beautiful banyan trees along the main road, and some more trees that were located behind the stage from where the Hon’ble PM addressed the meet; (as a precautionary measure over the possibility that some terrorist may climb up the tree and shoot at the PM).
“The work of providing Hotmix carpet for the SGPDA parking lot infront of Inox is another open and shut case of loot, as the expenditure shown here is a huge amount of 9 crores 34 lakhs”, Mr. Coutinho charged further.
Duplication of work is suspected in yet another work ie. Hotmixing and tarring of road from Collector’s office to Arlem circle which is pegged at 5 crores 35 lakhs. Just a few months ago, during the National Games, RTI information reveals that 10.70 crores is claimed to have been spent to provide Hotmix carpet for all the road within the vicinity of the Fatorda stadium, he said.
Coutinho while charging the PWD of suppressing information by not providing the Measurement Book sheets of the works executed, challenged the department and the government to come clear on this charge of corruption and prove us wrong, Mr. Coutinho said.
“We are yet to get information about the expenditure incurred towards the meeting pandol, food catering and other expenses incurred, which may further add up to the scam”, Mr. Coutinho said.