Team Herald
PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has sought an audit into the reimbursement of the expenditure claimed by the Election Commission of India’s local officers in Goa. Speaking to the media, the CM said he had refused to approve the funds and instead sought an audit.
“When the file came to me for release of funds, I mentioned a note saying ‘This appears far excessive expenditure, May audit which vehicles were brought, where did the vehicles travel, what is traveling of each vehicle, etc. A body of chartered accountants may be appointed,” he said expressing surprise at the whopping Rs 16.86 crore spent only on vehicles during the 2017 Assembly elections.
“I have blocked the payment, I will not make the payment because the election office virtually took an additional fleet of every vehicle from every office. For two and half months during the election process, no officer was in place of working. There was no vehicle for them,” he said.
With these questions raised in the reimbursement file, Parrikar quipped the election officer in Goa will ‘never send the file back to me for release of payment’. “If one goes by the bill submitted by Election Commission, the expenditure per constituency comes to the tune of Rs 50 lakh per constituency. Is this amount required for constituencies in Goa?” he asked.
Parrikar also appeared annoyed with the bulk of government officials being roped-in for election duty. “The main hurdle during election is roping in government officials on election duty. They are appointed as executive magistrate, etc. I had said no, which is why the administration was working else the Collectorate would be empty. They get a list of 100 people to relieve for election duty but I refused. I told them that they can take the concerned on duty after 11am. Let them do the duty at their parent office for the first two hours. This is the biggest nuisance…” he said.
