Act against corrupt ministers: Cong to Goa CM

PANAJI: Congress leader Girish Chodankar on Wednesday asked Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to act against corrupt ministers.

Chodankar said, "If the CM can suspend government employees for wrongdoings, then what stops him from taking action against corrupt ministers."

Sawant on Monday had said that in the last four years as the Chief Minister, eight or nine employees have been suspended. "Even major vigilance complaints were filed against 10 to 12 staff. We do it for transparent governance and to give justice to the public," he had said, while appealing to the people to approach the Public Grievances Cell to make the state corruption free.

Reacting to his appeal, Chodankar said that Pramod Sawant was trying to divert attention from the corruption issues that were grappling the state government.

"By now one thing is clear that the BJP can't live without doing corruption. Hence, the time frame is not set for any work, and Sawant is not taking action against his ministers. If he can suspend the government employees then why no action on corrupt ministers," he questioned.

"If Pramod Sawant is true to his intention then he should first act on 21 reports submitted against the public functionaries, including former and current ministers by the then Goa Lokayukta Justice (Retired) Prafulla Kumar Misra," Chodankar said.

Chodankar said that whenever there were allegations against the cabinet ministers or the BJP MLAs, Sawant safeguards them by diverting issues.

"Had he initiated action against the tainted ministers by implementing the recommendations of Lokayukta, then people would have got confidence to complain. When Sawant protects his cabinet colleagues then how people will dare to raise their voice against them as all know how tactics are used by the BJP to suppress voices," Chodankar said.

"If the government was serious about fighting corruption then it would have dropped Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho, who is facing serious corruption charges in the court," he said.

Chodankar said that the case against Godinho was filed by BJP itself, when Godinho was in another party.

"Even it would have not inducted former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat against whom Louis Berger cases are pending which have been filed by the BJP. Health minister Vishwajit Rane with evidence had exposed land related corruption by Michael Lobo, who is also inducted in the BJP," he said.

Chodankar pointed out that the entire government recruitment was compromised bypassing Goa staff selection commission.

"Jobs were sold for cash depriving deserving candidates. Various ministers and BJP functionaries are involved in various scam which include Casino scam, GMC medicine scam, Covid and oxygen scam, land conversion scam, drugs scam, labour scam, Zuari land scam, Atal Setu Bridge scam, SEZ payment scam, Panjim smart city scam, taxi meter scam, coal transportation scam, Investment Promotion Board scam and many other scams in our tiny Goa," Chodankar said.

"Unless the government comes clean on this, nobody will take the government seriously on the corruption issue and it will remain a mere farce." he said.