PANJIM: The Congress has slammed State government’s recent decision to upgrade the sanctioned amount for purchase of vehicles for ministers and bureaucrats, wherein Chief Minister and Speaker can purchase a vehicle worth upto Rs 35 lakh, while Rs 30 lakh is the ceiling for the ministers.

In a press statement issued on Friday, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Girish Chodankar alleged that the BJP government led by Dr Pramod Sawant has a single point agenda of looting the State Treasury.

“The recent circular of the government for buying vehicles worth lakhs of rupees is another example of the BJP’s agenda and hypocrisy. We want to warn the government that the people of Goa will react in a strong way if any attempt is made to buy lavish vehicles during these testing times and especially when State’s total liabilities crossed Rs 24,000 crore,” he said.

In addition to this, Chodankar said, the Government has already proposed to borrow Rs 600 crore in the first quarter of April-July 2020 and Rs 100 crore, each have been borrowed on April 7 and 13, respectively.

The Congress president sought to know from the chief minister whether the proposal to purchase expensive vehicle for him is approved by the State Expenditure Control Committee constituted recently.

“We once again demand that government should immediately release White Paper on the financial status of Goa which chief minister dilly dallying for the last six months,” he said.

Chodankar demanded that the government not utilise any designated fund from any stipulated account for fighting COVID-19 till the chief minister comes clean on the exact financial position of the State.

“This demand is made because the BJP is capable of misusing the funds for their benefits under the cover of coronavirus,” he said.