Allegations against me politically motivated: Khalap
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, JAN 13
Breaking his silence over the volley of controversies surrounding him, Goa State Law Commission Chairman Ramakant Khalap today rubbished the allegations against him terming them as politically motivated.
“I am as calm as Buddha. I did not respond to these allegations all this while as they are baseless. But I thought of telling the public through media now that these are politically motivated,” Khalap said while addressing a press conference at his Porvorim office.
He said that ‘some elements’ were worried that he might contest state legislative assembly or Parliament elections and hence they are spreading false propaganda against him.
Without naming Aires Rodrigues during the entire press conference, Khalap said that those who are coming in public against him are being used by others for their personal gains. “I have all my records straight. He (Aires) is perhaps working as a mouth piece of someone,” the chairman said.
Khalap, however said that he is interested in contesting Lokh Sabha election. “Nobody can stop me…I have full support of public,” he added.
He ruled out his role in disappearance of the file related to the Constitution of Law Commission. “When the commission was appointed in 2009, we had received an order from the government. The original file was with the state,” Khalap said adding that he has no role in the disappearance of the file.
The chairman said that the file is the property of Government of Goa. It originates in the chief minister’s office and later moves to Law Ministry and Finance Ministry.
“It’s finally proved that the file was with Finance Department. And now when the file is found the person who had levelled allegations against me has no etiquettes to apologies for his words,” Khalap said.
Responding to the allegations of huge expenses by the commission, Khalap said that commission’s staff worked without a salary for over one year when it was conceived.
“As far as car belonging to the commission is concerned, one vehicle ran for 40,000 kilometres in 600 days which means on an average it ran 70 kilometres every day,” he clarified.
Khalap said that it is the prerogative of the State government whom to appoint as the chairman. There is no compulsion that only former judges should head the commission.
“There are no retired judges available in Goa. Also, Maharashtra Law commission has a lawyer heading it,” he said adding that what is required is that the chairman should have knowledge of prevailing laws in the State.
In yet another clarification, Khalap said that the cases filed against him before he was appointed as chairman stands withdrawn. “The allegations were that the board of directors (of Mapusa Urban Co-operative Bank) headed by me had not recovered the loans,” he said adding that all the cases stand withdrawn in the High Court.
Currently, the commission is working on new excise Act for Goa. It is also likely to come up with titan guaranty Act along with electoral reforms with panchayats and municipalities of Goa.