Team Herald
PANJIM: Opposition parties have strongly condemned what they call the “wasteful expenditure” cleared by the GIDC board to provide its IAS managing director Rs 26 lakh car, which is nearly three times the permissible amount of Rs 10 lakh.
On getting to know of this information, political parties and activities in one voice said Goa can ill afford such useless expenditure at a time that the state was reeling under a financial crisis
“Soon after announcing itself as debt free, the Goa Industries Development Corporation (GIDC) passed a resolution to provide its Managing Director IAS officer with a car worth nearly Rs 26 lakh, which is far more than the permissible limits of Rs 10 lakh,” said Trajan De Mello, President of Lokancho Adhar.
De Mello pointed out that an announcement was made that the GIDC, after paying off all its liabilities, is now debt free. However, during the same meeting, the Board approved a proposal to buy a new official car for its Managing Director IAS Officer Prabhimal Abhishek, costing almost Rs 26 lakh.
De Mello further asked, “Does the GIDC resolution has the government‘s approval? GIDC becoming debt free does not auger well to spend Rs 26 lakh on an asset that gives you no return.”
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) State president Adv Amit Palekar said, “GIDC should work to bring new industries and new industrial policy to generate more employment rather than buying new vehicles. It should strictly follow the government circular while buying vehicles. What will you do with a new vehicle? It will be a new avenue of corruption to collect bribes.”
“This BJP government is like an event management agency. The government has no money to pay doles to beneficiaries of the Dayanand Social Security scheme, Ladli Laxmi scheme, and Graha Aadhar. The government should stop wasteful expenditures and adopt austerity measures. Even Opposition Leader Yuri Alemao was offered a new vehicle but he declined to take it,” said Amit Patkar, Goa Congress President.
When contacted, GIDC Chairman Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco said, “The Board has approved to buy a car worth Rs 26 lakh. The Board is the final authority. We take approval from the Board when the cost of the purchase is higher. We have taken all approvals and we won’t take any unauthorized decisions.”
