Challenges Bardez Mamlatdar, Civil Supplies Minister to an open forum
PANJIM, JUNE 2
The Pilerne Citizens Forum (PCF) on Wednesday reiterated the 92 ration cards issued in Pilerne-Marra village were bogus and maintained they can prove this fact in an open forum where they have challenged the Civil Supplies Minister and the Bardez Mamlatdar to come and prove otherwise.
Addressing a press conference in the city, PCF Coordinator Prakash Bandodkar, who appeared peeved, minced no words in criticising the Civil Supplies Minister Jose Philip D’Souza, while at the same time calling the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat “a sleeping CM” who has closed his eyes to the ills plaguing Goa.
Bandodkar said he challenged the Civil Supplies Minister, Bardez Mamlatdar, and, if possible, the CM to come to an open forum in which PCF was sure they would prove the ration cards issued in connivance with the former talathi of Pilerne-Marra Ramdas Tukaram Salgaonkar were bogus.
He chided further, “The Mamlatdar has verbally claimed that the 92 ration cards were issued legally, but till date he hasn’t been able to show us any supporting documents on the basis of which the same were issued.”
He informed the PCF has now approached the first appellate authority (Deputy Collector, Mapusa) to obtain the supporting documents.
Bandodkar said it has been shockingly learnt through documents obtained under the Right to Information Act two house numbers have been used to obtain one ration card. The house numbers belong to two residents of Pilerne Moicavado – Mrs Assuciana (H. No. 20) and Vassudev Naroji (H. No. 105) – who are shocked, he mentioned and added, “Both these residents have filed complaints at the Porvorim and Mapusa police stations and the Vigilance Department.”
He said both the residents have said they had not given no objection certificate for the issuance of the ration cards to the Rajpurohit family members, who have clandestinely used the two house numbers to obtain the all-important documents used to buy essential commodities from fair price shops.
Bandodkar said Government procedures have been laid to rest while issuing the ration cards and the forum has vowed to get to the root of the racket. For now once again demand action against the Bardez Mamlatdar and call for a through probe in the whole process followed in issuing the 92 ration cards, he asserted.
On May 25, while bringing the issue before the media persons for the first time, the PCF Coordinator had said he smelled a rat and didn’t rule out the involvement of the Civil Supplies Minister in the fiasco. He had demanded action against the talathi, mamlatdar and those concerned and if the minister failed to act, he had threatened to make him a party to the petition PCF would file in the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
