PANJIM:
Leader of Opposition Chandrankant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar might once
again find himself in trouble in the multi-crore SEZ land allotment scam with
Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte seeking an investigation hours after the former
demanded an inquiry into Khaunte’s alleged links in a bribery case involving
additional collector Sabaji Shetye.
“I will write to the chief minister
(Manohar Parrikar) to order an inquiry into the Goa Industrial Development
Corporation (GIDC) scam during the tenure of Kavlekar as the IDC Chairman. Let
him also be answerable,” Khaunte told a press conference on Wednesday evening.
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His reaction comes hours after
Kavlekar sought an inquiry into minister’s alleged link into the graft charges
against Shetye, who was arrested by the anti corruption branch on Tuesday.
“There has to be a probe whether or not he (minister) is linked with the case.
I am not saying he is connected with the case but there should be a probe,” he
had said responding to a question during a press briefing to reveal the failure
of Narendra Modi-led government.
A visibly upset Khaunte shot back at
Kavlekar stating he should be the last person to speak about scams. “Kavlekar
should be the last person to talk about scams and bribery. Who owns a property
and where, what is being done in Kerala, who owns a rubber plantation in
Kerala, how the IDC scam started…all this needs to be probed,” he said.
The Anti Corruption Branch is
conducting a preliminary inquiry against Kavlekar into the alleged illegal
property at Pathanamthitta, Kerala. Interestingly, during the inquiry that
began in the year 2012, the ACB sleuths stumbled upon information regarding
disproportionate assets including his bungalow worth Rs 1.38 crore as per
government estimates. The alleged illegalities were allegedly during Kavlekar’s
tenure as GIDC Chairman.
“We have to request the CM that as
industries minister he needs to check into the scam because there have been
loss of revenue, shortage of land, etc. Whatever happened in the past should be
unearthed… there have been cases wherein properties are registered in the name
of wife, sister, brother, etc.” the minister said insisting for an inquiry in
the long forgotten scam.
