Panaji: The tweet of the Tourism Department terming Maratha Ruler Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as “Invader” was a deliberate Conspiracy to give back door entry to a Public Relation Agency (PR Agency) and facilitate “Mission 30% Commission” of Tourism Minister Manohar alias Babu Ajgaonkar charged Goa Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary Amarnath Panjikar.
The silence of the Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant on the issue as well as him refraining from calling the Great Maratha King a “Ruler” in his tweet on the Punyatithi and limiting his words to call Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj only as “Warrior” speaks volumes about his support to the conspiracy. The Chief Minister must come clean on this entire episode and make his stand clear demanded Amarnath Panjikar.
The conspiracy angle of deliberately posting a sensational tweet to create controversy to facilitate back door entry of PR Agency needs to be probed at the highest level. Congress Party will keep a close watch on the actions of the Government warned Amarnath Panjikar.
We have authentic information that the Tourism Department issued Media Statement only on instructions of the Tourism Minister Manohar alias Babu Ajgaonkar with a mention of the Department recommending for Appointment of PR Agency. This was done to engage a PR Agency with a payment of Rs. 1.5 Crores per year which will fetch a commission of Rs. 45 Lakhs to the Tourism Minister charged Amarnath Panjikar.
We want to remind the Chief Minister that during the discussion on Demands in Goa Legislative Assembly, the Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat had demanded that the PR work of all the Government Departments must be handed over to the Information and Publicity Department. He had also pointed out that the Tourism Department was working without PR Agency from October 2018 onwards. Tourism Minister had assured the Leader of Opposition to stop the tender process and study the feasibility to give the work to Department of Information and Publicity.
However, due to the greed for Commission, the Tourism Minister is now finding a way out to bring back the PR Agency on board stated Amarnath Panjikar.
The act of the Tourism Department to suspend a Contract Employee that too appointed by a Project Agency after the controversy erupted is nothing but an eye wash. They have made a Scapegoat of a Junior Level Employee. People want to know who was the mastermind behind the insulting tweet said Amarnath Panjikar.
The Media Statement issued by the Tourism Department has once again exposed the fact that all is not well. It is unfortunate that the Department handed over the PR Management to a Junior Level Employee working on Contract basis that too engaged by a Project Company.
We dare the corrupt Tourism Minister to reveal the name of the Project Agency, Name of the Person on whom action is taken and produce documentary evidence to prove that said Project Agency and the said Employee were actually asked by the Tourism Department to handle Social Media demanded Amarnath Panjikar.
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