PANJIM: Goa Lokayukta P K Misra in a hard-hitting special report to Goa Governor Satya Pal Malik on the alleged illegal renewal of 88 mining leases by then Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has said that “if the act were not abuse of position” then “God alone can save the State”.
Misra, slammed and humiliated the BJP-led government for “not examining the report (by Lokayukta) with the minimum care it deserved”, and said that if any of the accused – Parsekar, former Mines Secretary Pawan Kumar Sain and former Mines Director Prasanna Acharya – can explain as how 31 renewals were done on January 12, without any violations, then the Institution is ready to “recall the report suo motu” and “recommend for appropriate honour on the three, on the coming Independence Day, for the remarkable efficiency”.
In January this year, the Goa Lokayukta had recommended to the State government the registering of FIR through the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) against the trio, with regards to alleged “corruption and criminal conspiracy” in renewal of mining leases. The investigation and recommendation were based on the complaint filed by Goa Foundation. The government, however, rejected the recommendation, earlier this month.
“The institution is not satisfied with the reasons given in either of the ATRs, submitted by Chief Minister and Governor, and in view of the importance of the question involved, the case deserves that a special report under Section 16(3) is required to be made,” Misra said, adding that both the ATRs, rejecting the report, apparently based on opinion of the Advocate General and “other visible or invisible” set of advisers, are in similar vein.
“The opinion of the learned Advocate General seems to be based on half baked ideas, incomplete and cursory reading of the Goa Lokayukta Act,” he said further.
The Lokayukta said that it has not referred to hasty clearance of renewals of 88 leases but had considered renewals of leases made between January 5 to January 12, 2015, and more particularly hasty renewals of 31 leases on January 12 itself, the day the Ordinance (MMDR Act) was made by the Central government.
“If the above acts were not abuse of position, then God only knows the meaning of such expression. And God alone can Save the State,” he commented.
“Only a Dhritarashtra and or Gandhari (Mahabharat personalities) would be unable to perceive anything sinister in what happened on January 12, 2015 and it seems there is no dearth of Dhritarashtra and or Gandhari these days in Mera Bharat Mahan,” the report said.
“For that matter, it also seems there is no dearth of Shakuni in rendering “appropriate advice, “Putra Moha” (love for the son) seems to have been substituted by “Party Moha” (love for the party) or other kinds of “Moha” (love) in the system of public administration and shouting from the roof tops regarding eradication of corruption, while paying only lip service, when the question of actual eradications crops up,” Misra said.
Misra said that the non-acceptance of the report is on the “expected lines”, given the usual attitude of “protecting the privileged and the powerful”, the “political compulsion” and the tendency to prejudge matters without discerning the relevant materials in their proper perspective.
“The posterity may rightly question as to why public exchequer should be depleted by establishing institutions like Lokayukta or Human Rights Commission if their reports are to be routinely rejected without bestowing the attention they deserve,” he said.
“Personal honesty of an individual, though laudable, is not enough. Maintaining institutional integrity is the hallmark of a good administrator and the most basic foundation of ideal public administration,” the Lokayukta maintained.
The institution has reiterated the findings and observations made in its report dated January 20. Misra has said that the special report should be placed before the State Legislative Assembly.
