Team Herald
PANJIM: The opposition on Tuesday created a ruckus over the controversial ‘beach cleaning’ project with Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte alleging a scam of over Rs 75 crore.
Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar and Khaunte entered into a verbal duel when the latter argued that the minister was diverting from the main issue by tabling irrelevant replies. The opposition subsequently demanded a half-an-hour of discussion on the issue.
During Question Hour on Tuesday, Khaunte raised a supplementary question inquiring whether the government had studied the file he had tabled during the monsoon session of the Assembly in 2015, exposing the illegality and irregularities.
“Did you study the file? What are your findings, action taken based on the expose and whether the report will be tabled in this session,” Khaunte said as he elaborated that the investigation at his personal level had indicted various shortcomings. “There is no cleaning at the 100 mtr shoreline, no portable cabins are seen and there are no composting and segregation pits. The contractors did not fulfill any criteria but their bills are being cleared,” he alleged.
The minister started his reply stating that the contractors – Ram Engineering and Construction Company, and Bhumika Clean Tech Pvt Ltd were awarded the beach cleaning contract in September 2014, only to be interrupted by Khaunte who demanded a specific reply to his question.
Parulekar then convinced the House that the report of the Tourism department mentioned deducting some payment to the contractor in North Goa for not meeting the criteria. “The bill of Rs 5.90 crore in North Goa was reduced to Rs 4.15 crore. This obviously means that they did not carry out work to our satisfaction, and as such part of their payment was deducted,” he said.
Khaunte once again stood alleging the minister was wasting time by giving irrelevant answers. “He is not replying to my question. You are wasting the time of the House. We are asking you Ramayana and you are speaking on Mahabharat,” the Porvorim MLA commented.
Cornered by the opposition benches on tourism-related issues, Parulekar then told the protem Speaker Mauvin Godinho that Khaunte lacked patience to listen to his replies. “I am speaking Ramayana only. I am speaking about beach cleaning contract,” was his reply to Khaunte’s remark.
In what could raise questions on government’s intention behind awarding the tenders to the two contractors, Khaunte tabled in the House that the then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar (now Union Defence Minister) had termed the tender a ‘mess’.
“This is a mess. The proposal of Tourism department has bypassed all the major points raised during the discussion. The contractors have messed up and the tender documents have been weak on enforcing…” he read out Parrikar’s noting on the tender document.
As he continued leveling allegation against the government, the legislator mentioned that the directors of both companies are the same though the tender mentioned otherwise.
“The directors are same, they use the same office premise, cleaning work is not carried out properly, no garbage is collected from shacks, the length of beaches are manipulated, and fake names of workers are given to claim payment from the government,” Khaunte added. Goa State Pollution Control Board’s report pointing at several violations was also bypassed to clear bills to the contractors, he further mentioned.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar came to his minister’s rescue requesting protem Speaker Mauvin Godinho that Khaunte not be allowed to waste time. “Leveling allegations for two-three-four minutes should not be allowed. If this is the thing, then what will be the reply,” he said intervening in the discussion.
The opposition benches including Pratapsingh Rane, Vijai Sardesai, and others demanded a special half-an-hour discussion to which Godinho asked them to approach the newly-appointed Speaker through proper protocol. “It is a serious issue involving public funds,” Khaunte commented.
BOX
Abhayankar’s transfer catches House’s attention
The abrupt transfer of IAS officer Ameya Abhayankar from the Tourism department caught the attention of the House with Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte smelling something foul.
During Question Hour, while speaking on the beach cleaning contract, Khaunte alleged that Abhyankar’s transfer was done because he did not comply with the diktats of Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar.
“The beach cleaning contractors were issued show cause notices on the violations in February, March and April 2015. There was no reply to the notices but their bills were cleared in July. This was the last bill cleared and when Abhyankar tried to stop the menace, he was transferred out as director of Tourism department when the State was witnessing the peak tourist season,” he alleged on the floor of the House.
He went on to allege that the then director had refused to sign the bills due to the adverse report on beach cleaning by GSPCB.
According to information available with Herald, the director had filed a strongly-worded reply against the contractors to GSPCB a little before he was shunted from the department. Due to the non-compliance of the terms and condition, Abhyankar had kept on hold their bills.
