The Tourism Department has, however, sought a report from the police, and refused to intervene in the matter.
Mohata, owner of Ram Engineering and Construction Company and Bhumika Clean Tech Pvt Ltd, was booked for cheating, after three local sub-contractors complained of being not paid Rs 35 lakh on Tuesday. The Panjim police registered the first information report under sections 420 (cheating), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code against him.
However, Mohata in a press statement issued on Wednesday claimed that they never hired any contractor or sub-contractor for the beach cleaning in the State. “We had employed services of Pratap Virnekar and others for supplying workers on a trial basis for a period of six months on the terms as mentioned in the tender document… However, it was found that services provided by them were not up to the expected standards and due to the shortfall huge penalties were levied on us by the Tourism Department,” the press release states.
