In view of the summons issued to former Chief Minister and Margao MLA, Digambar Kamat who was to visit the crime branch on Tuesday but claimed he received the summons for Wednesday, the apparent no-show and his alleged involvement in the Goa Watergate Scam has evoked mixed and strong reactions from prominent Margao citizens.
“As a common man I find it difficult to believe that any politician is good and honest. This looks to me like a classic example of vengeance of one party against another. In this case, BJP’s vengeance against Congress. This is an old practice and in present times in the Parliament or other places it is that the answer to one’s corruption is to point out another person’s corruption. These people fail to understand that they are answerable to the people of the country and it is ridiculous,” prominent citizen of Margao and architect, Dilip Prabhudesai said.
“The greater probability is that the money has passed hands from Ministers and bureaucrats and not just ministers. I do not know whether it has influenced the decision making process in the allotment of the work. If Louis Berger has passed on the money, then the transaction may not be clean even in the feasibility report of Mopa airport and also the sea link project. The Ministers and bureaucrats in the BJP Government may not be clean. Investigations should be on in full swing,” said former state election commissioner Prabhakhar Timble.
Renowned musician, composer and activist Sidhanath Buyao, who recently participated in the musical protest against the Tiracol Golf Course and villa project said, “I can’t comment on Mr Kamat’s non appearance before the Louis Berger kick back investigations. He would know the reasons for skipping. I appreciate the Government’s efforts for faster investigations. All should be booked but at the same time, the Government should also investigate ministers’ loan scam and demand a CBI enquiry into mining loot.”
Meanwhile, there was skepticism among the leaders of the very strong and volatile citizen’s movement, that these summons would ultimately lead to any legal punishment for the beleaguered former Chief Minister.
“Digambar Kamat not appearing before the crime branch indicates either that he does not fear the crime branch or that he is confident about his match fixing with the government. I am sure that this government will not take any action against him; for fear that he will expose corrupt acts of the government. A clear act of quid pro quo,” said Advocate Rajeev Gomes who recently convened the Margao United group.
“For Digambar, this JICA is a very minor scam of few crores. He came clean in the mining scam of Rs 35000 crore. This is just another eyewash or strategy for 2017. He is a master in politics and he will find a way out,” said Goa Seamen Association of India president and Fatorda resident Dixon Vaz.
And finally, and not surprisingly, this is what the BJP’s Sharmad Raiturkar and Kamat’s regular election opponent had to say , “After Digambar was exposed in the mining scam and now in JICA, it is a fact that he is a habitually corrupt person. I personally demand that all major projects taken up under him should be probed. I also demand that a thorough inquiry should be made into his massive assets within Goa, India and also in foreign countries, he said.
