The Goa Forward Party president Shri Vijai Sardesai today lambasted the Goa government for allowing racketeers to pilfer 20 tonnes of food grains meant for poor families, and sell it in Karnataka. “The state government has colluded with certain individuals and permitted them to cart off huge qualities of rice and wheat from its godowns. It’s beyond doubt that the ‘Antodaya Tatva’ Pramod Sawant keeps talking about is nothing but another deceitful distraction from the rampant corruption in Goa’s public distribution system”, Vijai said.
Vijai pointed out that earlier the chief minister and his government had allowed Goa’s water from the Mhadei to be diverted to Karnataka, now it’s food meant for the poor families. “On one hand he talks about Antodaya Tatva to provide food to the poorest of poor families while on the other hand the same food is being stolen from right under his nose with the collusion of the government. Nothing could be more sinful and immoral”, Sardesai asserted.
“A few people have been caught but the kingpin who is heading this racket is still absconding“, Sardesai said, adding that the government must restrain itself from finding another scapegoat , as it is its habit, to escape criminal action. “In the toor dal scam the government had made civil supplies director Siddhivinayak Naik a scapegoat in order to shield the Civil Supplies minister Govind Gawde. Who will be the scapegoat this time? Will it be the officer who exposed this racket?”, Sardesai questioned.
In August, the Goa Forward Party had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to conduct an investigation into the alleged toor dal scam wherein 241 Metric Tonnes of toor dal meant for the poor was allowed to rot and then sold for a few lakh rupees. Sardesai claimed that no action has been taken till now, and it is chief minister’s deliberate inaction in such massive scams that has led to the complete collapse of the civil supplies system in Goa.
“The government must move decisively and take action this time. Goans are watching” Sardesai said.
