Team Herald
PANJIM: The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) has demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe the alleged ‘mega scam’ into payment of interest to the SEZ promoters.
GPCC president Girish Chodankar, at a press conference on Sunday, alleged that at a time when Goa is reeling under financial crisis the BJP government borrowed Rs 200 crore only to pay interest to the companies.
“Why does the government have to pay interest when the companies had blocked the land? Instead the firms should be made to pay the government. Goa government is not responsible for paying interest. And although we are in financial emergency, the government has been unnecessarily paying money by taking loans,” he said.
Demanding that SEZ promoters refund the money, the GPCC also alleged that Rs 200 crore was borrowed from a bank to pay the interest to SEZ promoters.
Alleging huge kickback to some BJP leaders, Chodankar demanded that the matter be handed over to the CBI for an investigation. At the same time, the party has written to the CAG for an audit.
“BJP has resorted to only corruption after corruption,” he alleged.
Over a year ago, Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat had questioned the government for paying a lump sum interest to a SEZ promoter towards acquisition of ‘illegal allotment of land’. Ironically, the interest of around Rs 128 crore, which is in addition to the principal amount of Rs 132 crore approximately, has been paid through a loan obtained by the IDC, he had said.
The party has now sought that government scrap e-auctioning of these lands and allot to Goan entrepreneurs for creating employment.
