MARGAO: SEZ Virodhi Manch has condemned Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s decision to drop the Special Economic Zone scam cases pending with the Anti Corruption Bureau particularly since he had promised to book the guilty. He had uncovered the alleged scam while being in the Opposition.
The Manch alleged that even though villagers had lodged complaints with the ACB and respective police stations naming the persons and particularly the politicians involved in the October 2007 scam, the ACB for reasons best known to it filed the FIR against unknown persons.
The Manch pointed out that the High Court in its November 2010 order had clearly stated that the land was allotted in a manner not known to law and that it was illegal as it was done “arbitrarily” and in an “unreasonable” manner.
Pointing out that the court had also observed “the allotments were made hastily and there is complete arbitrariness in the allotment of lands by GIDC,” the Manch expressed surprise that despite these observations by the court, the government has now decided to drop the investigations.
The Manch condemned the government decision to pay Rs 256 crore to SEZ promoters to settle their claims and argued that since the SEZ promoters were in connivance with the officials in the illegal act they should not be paid any amount.
They argued that if any amount ought to be paid to the SEZ promoters then it should come from the officials, who collaborated with them in the alleged illegal act and demanded that the investigations be taken to the logical conclusion.
