Panaji: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday condemned the charge of corruption by Rohan Khaunte on Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant in the Mopa International Airport issue.
State Executive Member Rupesh Kamat issued a note in which he stated, “Director of Civil Aviation is the Member Secretary of MADA (Mopa Airport Development Authority) as per the MADA Act 5th September 2018. This Act was approved in the Cabinet meeting held on July 27, 2018. Dismissed Ex-Minister Rohan Khaunte was a part of this Cabinet meeting decision.”
“If he had any issues or suggestions in regards of appointment of Director of Civil Aviation as Member Secretary, he could have raised his objections then. Why was he a silent spectator ?,” Kamat questioned.
Ruling out the charges made by Khaunte, Kamat stated, “Charges by Khaunte that rules are not framed of MADA Act is totally false and baseless. Rules were framed and approved in the Cabinet meeting held on 20th December 2018 and notified in the Gazette on 3rd January 2019. Again, dismissed ex-Minister Rohan Khaunte was a part of the said Cabinet meeting and did not raised any objections or suggestions.”
Additionally, the party’s state spokesperson Dattaprasad Naik stated that Khaunte is “misguiding Goans by leving false charges of corruption on chief minister in the name of construction license.
Giving further details about the Mopa airport, Naik stated, “The construction of Mopa Airport is being done on government land on Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis has already spent approximately 450 crores on this government land i.e. earthwork, construction of ATC tower, terminal building, etc.”
“I can assure you that no close aid of Dr Pramod Sawant has got any of this contracts or sub-contracts. However, we question which Javed, Shakil etc. are beneficiaries of this contracts directly or indirectly and which politician from Bardez has direct links with them,” he further stated.
“an undertaking is given by GMR to MADA to abide by the ruling with regards to the payment of construction license fees. The construction license has been granted to avoid any further delay to the most prestigious and important project for the State of Goa,” he added.
