TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Nine out of 40 MLAs, including a Cabinet Minister failed to file their assets and liabilities, as the deadline to submit the returns before the Lokayukta ended on Thursday, officials said. The nine included five MLAs from the BJP, three from the Congress and one from MGP.
Apart from legislators, except for four functionaries, ~ including one zilla panchayat member and entire elected representatives of Veling-Priol panchayat ~ none else filed their assets. There are over a thousand government officials and 182 village panchayats, who have to file their assets.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar filed his returns, including family income on July 31. Legislative Assembly Speaker Rajendra Arlekar and former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat also filed their returns. A total of 11 MLAs submitted their returns on Wednesday while 12 filed it on the last day Thursday.
According to information, Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar and four BJP MLAs ~ deputy speaker Anant Shet, Vishnu Wagh, Pramod Sawant and Carlos Almeida, failed to file their returns. MGP MLA Lavoo Mamletdar has sought three weeks time to submit the details.
Similarly, from the Congress ~ MLAs Atanasio Monserrate, Jennifer Monserrate and Chandrakant Kavlekar have not filed their assets. All the five independent MLAs and Goa Vikas Party MLAs have submitted their returns.
Corporation of the City of Panaji Mayor Surendra Furtado has also not filed his returns. Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) chairman Jose Manual Noronha, Economic Development Corporation (EDC) managing director Satish Bhat, Goa Electronic Limited (GEL) MD VS Borkar and Ponda Education Society (PES) president Ravi Naik have filed their returns. Leader of Opposition Pratapsing Rane was the first legislator to file his returns before Lokayukta on July 24.
The Lokayukta in April had directed public functionaries to declare their assets and liabilities for 2012-13 by June 30. Later the deadline was extended till August 1. Lokayukta would now initiate action as per Section 21 of the Goa Lokayukta Act, against all those who have failed to file their returns.
As per the Act, all the government officials, Government Companies established under a statute and owned by the government, or institutions receiving grants from the State government are bound to submit their statements of assets and liabilities to the Lokayukta in the prescribed form.
As per the Act, if no such statement was received by the Lokayukta from public functionaries within the time specified, the Lokayukta shall make a report to the competent authority and send a copy of the report to the public functionary concerned. Within two months of such report, if the person does not submit the statement, the Lokayukta can publish the names of such persons in newspapers and file a report with the Governor.
An official said that the list of defaulters would be sent to competent authority for action. In case of legislators the competent authority is Chief Minister while for other government officials it is Chief Secretary and for panchayat members it is the director of panchayats.
Apart from legislators, except for four functionaries ~ including one zilla panchayat member and entire elected representatives of Veling-Priol panchayat ~ none else filed their assets… there are over a thousand government officials and 182 village panchayats who have to file their assets
