A high-level meeting was convened at the residence of the Chief Minister, with the aim of resolving the allegations against the Minister of Art and Culture, Govind Gaude. BJP State President Sadanand Tanawde along with Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar, and Art and Culture minister Govind Gaude met Chief Minister before heading for the second day of Assembly session. All attendees, including Speaker Tawadkar, State President Tanawde, and Minister Gaude, remained tight-lipped about the details discussed during the meeting.
The controversy surrounding Govind Gaude emerged after Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar made corruption allegations against Minister on the very first day of the Goa Legislative Assesmbly session on Friday. Speaker Tawadkar directly implicated Minister Gaude in alleged corruption related to the mishandling of funds designated for grants within the Department of Art and Culture.
Ramesh Tawadkar had said that panchayat members of three village panchayats of Canacona have alleged that cultural organisations fraudulently obtained funds of Rs 26.85 lakh from the Art and Culture Directorate for programmes, which never took place.
Speaker Tawadkar emphatically had called for a thorough investigation into the purported financial irregularities, adding a layer of intensity to the unfolding political drama. On the other hand, Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude had said that he would initiate an inquiry in the matter, claiming that his functioning is transparent.
