TEAM HERALD
CANACONA: In what could spark off a major controversy, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has indicated that thefts (choreo) also take place within the defence ministry, along the similar lines of the earlier Congress rule in Goa.
Speaking at a ZP campaign meeting in Khola late Saturday evening, Parrikar further assured that his ministry would provide a 25-30% better output within the same budget, as compared to the previous Congress regime.
“Defence budget is Rs 2.46 lakh crore and if everything is taken into account, it goes up to Rs 3 lakh crore. Thuim choreo astat (There too, thefts take place),” said Parrikar.
“Someone from the Opposition in Rajya Sabha asked me how we could do so many things with this budgeted amount, I told him: ‘we can achieve 25-30% more than what you did with the same amount during your period. This is because, during your regime, someone in the middle was eating up to 25% and even more than that amount,” said the defence minister.
Developing on his views, Parrikar said a journalist in Delhi had asked him to highlight his biggest success of his three-year tenure as Goa’s chief minister.
“I told him that 40% of Goa’s resources and money disappeared, while mining also closed. Despite this, I fulfilled the assurances made to the people. I myself don’t know how, but somehow, I managed to raise the money.”
“Even in dire straits, money promised to people was delivered and we didn’t fall short at all. Thuim suddam oxeoch choreo astat…Fark itloch assa ki hanga kotini tor thuim lakh kotini asta. (There too, similar types of thefts take place. The only
difference is that over here it is in crores, whereas there, it is in lakhs of crores),” said Parrikar.
Responding to public criticism that he would be unable to provide so much employment to Goa, Parrikar replied: “The central government has signed a Rs 32,000-crore defence contract with Goa Shipyard Ltd on February 28. You imagine the magnitude of this contract, as GSL is presently doing only Rs 500 crore in business.”
“If we go to that level, GSL will take 44 years to complete the projects, but we had to do it in eight years. GSL has to increase its strength by eight-fold. The present size of 2,500 workers will have to be increased to 15,000-20,000, including engineers and all.”
“This benefit will not be limited to Vasco only, but will spread all over Goa,” said Parrikar, while highlighting the employment avenues at Goa Shipyard alone.
“In order to continue with such achievements, it is necessary to have even Zilla panchayats ruled by the BJP or else, someone else will create bottlenecks for us,” he added.
