SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024
Team Herald
Panjim: “God alone can save the State.” The observation by just-retired Lokayukta Justice P K Misra in a mining case shook the BJP government that often encountered categorical remarks over various issues during the Ombudsman’s 52 months tenure at the institution.
The final two days of his retirement were packed with action, with Misra directing the Pramod Sawant government to crackdown on the multi-crore COVID-19 relief labour scam as well as to register First Information Report (FIR) against BJP’s sitting MLA Pandurang Madkaikar into alleged disproportionate assets.
All his orders have certainly not gone down well with the present government as none have been implemented thus far. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant once made it evident that the government will not act on Lokayukta’s findings.
On January 20, 2020, the institution’s report indicating corruption in the renewals of 88 mining leases while recommending CBI probe against former CM Laxmikant Parsekar and a bunch of officials in the government, was dismissed as “recommendatory and not binding on the government” by CM Sawant. “I have received the report today and let me go through it first and then I will react. Anyways, the Lokayukta report is just recommendatory and not binding on the government,” the CM was quoted as saying.
It was in May that Misra, armed with his hard-hitting special report, didn’t hesitate to approach the then Governor Satya Pal Malik. His words - “If the act (by then CM Parsekar) were not abuse of position, then God alone can save the State” - had left the govt red-faced.
Misra also slammed and humiliated the BJP-led govt for “not examining the report (by Lokayukta) with the minimum care it deserved”.
Further, he almost challenged the government stating that if any of the accused – Parsekar, former Mines Secretary Pawan Kumar Sain and former Mines Director Prasanna Acharya – could explain how 31 renewals were done on January 12, without any violations; then the Institution is ready to “recall the report suo motu” and “recommend for appropriate honour on the three, on the coming Independence Day, for the remarkable efficiency”.
Misra’s direction to table the special report before the State Legislative Assembly also did not see the light of the day.
Misra would also ensure that legislators and public functionaries adhere to the Lokayukta Act to declare their assets and liabilities for financial years from 2012. Names of the defaulters, after giving them opportunities would thereafter be submitted to the Governor.
With Misra as Lokayukta, the institution came in the news for critical observations and tough decisions on government. It was in 2013, that the same BJP government, which was then led by the late Manohar Parrikar, appointed retired Supreme Court Justice Sudarshen Reddy as Goa’s first Lokayukta. This was on done March 8, 2013 but within six months on September 18, 2013, Reddy resigned without citing any reasons. Three years later, on April 24, 2016, Justice Misra was appointed as Goa’s second Lokayukta.
