Team Herald
PANJIM: The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has yet again accused the BJP government in Goa of indulging in massive corruption, courtesy renovation of Kala Academy and construction of illegal structure in the Archeological Survey of India protected site at Old Goa.
Lok Sabha Member of Parliament and AITC Goa In-Charge Mahua Moitra while raising three critical people specific issues including the Kala Academy and heritage site, slammed that there is no “Mukhya Mantri (Chief Minister) in Goa, but only a Maha Mantri named Satish Dhond”.
She added, “All political parties are in cahoots with the BJP as a result of which Goa is suffering.”
“The Rs 49 crore renovation work at the Kala Academy was awarded by the PWD without any financial or technical bid or tender. This is unheard of in any government project. It was instead given on a nomination basis, in a partisan manner on a pick-and-choose basis to Techton Builders Private Limited,” she said at a press briefing on Saturday.
Moitra added that on April 12, 2021, the PWD issued a letter to Techton builders asking if they were willing to do the work and that on the same day, the builders gave their nod.
“How can the two things happen on the same day? Were these builders sitting inside the PWD meeting? You mean to tell me there has been no kickback given for this project?,” she alleged.
The second issue was that of an illegal structure built at an ASI-protected heritage site in Old Goa.
Moitra demanded that the government immediately demolish the structure, which is being set up by a person who is closely associated with the BJP in Maharashtra.
“The ASI report states that a 51 sq mts structure is a ground-floor small hut meant for storing coconuts. ASI strictly says that only repair to the original structure is possible but neither reconstruction nor any new construction can take place. But the District Collector fraudulently gave a report stating that there was a 397 sq mts structure which is against the ASI report. In April 2021, the existing structure or the hut was demolished and today, in November, an 840 sq mts villa has been set up by Manish Munot who is associated with the BJP. I am asking this to the Chief Minister and the Prime Minister, how are you allowing this?” she questioned.
The third issue was the irregularities in the granting of three infrastructure projects by the Centre and State government that threaten the biodiversity of Mollem National Park and Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary. Reiterating that Mollem has been designated as one of the 36 global biodiversity hotspots by the UNESCO, Moitra said that double tracking of railway line from Castle Rock to Vasco was mainly for one purpose, to transport coal for Adani. In the first project, 21,000 trees are being felled in the protected forest while four-laning of the National Highway 4A will see 12,100 trees being felled and the Goa-Tamnar Transmission Project will result in the felling of over 20,000 trees for a substation and a badminton court to be made inside a protected area.
She further slammed the other opposition parties such as Congress, AAP and Goa Forward Party of raising public issues to garner attention but dong nothing further about it. “Only the TMC has shown the intention and resilience to work for Goans. I am here every day and I promise to raise all these Goa specific issues in the Parliament next week,” she said.
Raising Satish Dhond’s name again, the AITC’s Goa In-Charge Moitra categorically mentioned that Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant was a mere puppet and demanded to know from the BJP how Dhond, who is not even a minister, attending the government meetings.
