Team Herald
PANJIM: Crime Branch (CB) has found a crucial piece of information that could likely turn against former chief minister Digambar Kamat. An official note has been found to have been tampered with during the time he served as CM and Churchill Alemao was the public works department minister between November 2010 and January 2011.
In a noting recommending formation of a high-powered monitoring committee under the chairmanship of Alemao, to expedite implementation of the JICA project, a handwritten scribble makes Kamat chairman and Alemao vice chairman of the committee.
In the list of eight members including the chairman, the manual changes not only added Kamat on the top of the list but also added the chief secretary as one of the members. The noting has Kamat’s signature besides that of Alemao.
“This committee shall meet every 15 days to review the progress made in speedy execution of the project by adhering to various timelines given by the JICA. It will also ensure timely execution of various projects components of this scheme and remove bottlenecks,” the computer-typed two page noting reads, and has a handwritten sentence stating, “In the absence of chairman, vice chairman shall act as chairman of the committee.”
Two months later, a notification releasing a fresh list of a 10-member committee was published on January 25, 2011. This list confirmed Kamat as chairman, Alemao as vice chairman, PWD principal chief engineer as member secretary, and secretary (Finance), Secretary (WRD), Secretary (PWD), Chief Engineer (WRD), Project Director (PIU) and Chief Engineer (PWD) as members.
The CB is investigating the modifications of the note sheet and some persons are likely to be summoned for questioning.
