The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has raised serious concerns following revelations by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) highlighting financial and procedural irregularities in the organization of the Invest Goa 2024 summit.
In a formal statement, Engr. Roque Virgilio Mascarenhas, AAP Goa Vice President and a key leader from Curtorim, called for immediate corrective measures and institutional accountability to restore public confidence.
Mascarenhas acknowledged that while operational lapses may stem from executive officials and procurement bodies, the ultimate responsibility lies with the then Chairman of the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (Goa-IDC) and the Investment Promotion Board, Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenço. He emphasised that the issue is not about individual blame alone but about reinforcing principles of transparency, due process, and good governance.
Warning of the broader impact on the public, Mascarenhas said, “When public money is spent without proper scrutiny, it is the people of Goa who pay the price.” He described the CAG’s findings as alarming and urged the state government to initiate an independent inquiry into all financial approvals associated with the summit. He also demanded that individual responsibilities be clearly established and that the CAG’s audit recommendations be implemented without delay.
Mascarenhas further called on the government to ensure greater transparency and diligence in future public-private partnership initiatives to avoid similar lapses. Reaffirming AAP’s commitment to clean governance, he said the party would not stay silent in the face of such clear administrative failures.