PANJIM: Water Resource Minister Vinod Palyekar, who is also the Siolim MLA, has recommended a thorough inquiry through vigilance department over financial irregularities in the Chapora Waterfront project.
Herald has been in the forefront to bring to light the brewing scam in the project and has in the past extensively reported on the issue.
Palyekar noted that after going though the files it clearly appeared that there were not only financial irregularities, but even the project was undertaken in a very haphazard manner.
“Factually looking at site condition, I am of the firm opinion that the matter requires to be investigated thoroughly by the vigilance department in view of the financial irregularities, which was also pointed out by the finance department,” he said.
The minister also observed that the plans of the project were not placed in the file pertaining to the project. “It therefore clearly appears that the department of water resource was not sure of what was being constructed through the contractor,” he emphasised.
Palyekar has also raised a query why the stay of NGT was not challenged by the department, stressing that subsequently the State had to face a huge loss as the project was tendered without proper study and without permissions.
Herald had filed its reports based on the documents procured under the RTI Act, which revealed that the actual cost of the project was rigged and it evidently appears that some bureaucrats seemed to be dancing to the tunes of politicians.
Documents also point to the fact that the project cost which was over Rs 8 crore as per estimates was awarded for nearly Rs 13 crore with a justification of “harsh conditions” and “justifiable amount.”
Incidentally, the observations made by the top bureaucrats in this regard were also overruled by the finance department.
