Team Herald
PANJIM: The BJP has demanded an inquiry against Goa Forward Party (GFP) vice-president Durgadas Kamat for his alleged involvement in massive corruption as an OSD to the then WRD Minister Vinod Palyekar.
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Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, BJP (North Goa District Committee) vice president Prashant Desai accused Kamat of corrupt practices. “As an OSD to then WRD Minister Vinod Palyekar, Durgadas Kamat had especially set up a cabin in the head office of the department at Porvorim. Which department has separate cabin for the OSD? What was his motive? It was essentially because he (Kamat) wanted to mentally pressurise each and every contractor for bribe,” he alleged.
Desai claimed the party has evidence to substantiate its allegations against Kamat and sought an inquiry against the GFP VP. “Due to his corrupt practices, such person is not in the government. We urge the government to initiate an inquiry against him during his tenure as OSD to former WRD minister,” Desai said.
The BJP office-bearer vent his anger at Kamat, a day after the latter alleged that BJP workers are the beneficiaries of the financial support announced for construction workers during the COVD-19 pandemic.
“Government has paid an amount of over Rs 13 crore to nearly 12,800 ‘so called’ construction workers and labourers during the pandemic. The fact is that beneficiaries, majority of who are from Sanquelim and Bicholim areas, are neither workers nor labourers. There is complete fraud in the list of beneficiaries,” he had alleged at a press conference in GFP office on Tuesday. Kamat had also played audio clips of communication with some of the beneficiaries, as listed by the government, in which every person has denied to have received the amount.
The BJP, on the other hand, has rubbished its Opposition’s claim demanding proof and apology from Kamat. “He always comes up with baseless allegations with an intention to misguide the people. We condemn his allegations against the BJP workers and demand an apology from him,” Desai demanded.
