Team Herald
VASCO: Dean of Mormugao Deanery, Fr Vital Miranda, who is also Parish Priest of Our lady of Candelaria Church in Baina condemned the I-T department notice to religious institutions under the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman.
“Asking information is not bad as we are a public institute and have been duly submitting all our audited accounts. Also we are not against PM Narendra Modi’s decision on black money, but asking for cash book details and selectively from the Christian community is incorrect and needs to be condemned,” Miranda said.
He added, “I inquired from other religious institutions in Vasco and came to know that no trust or any other religious institutions have been served I-T notices and we were made to run to the Bishop’s House to submit all copies of cash book as on November 7, 8 and 9, 2016, as if we would help in converting black money to white, which is incorrect. I, as dean of all the Churches in Mormugao, have been visiting all the churches regularly and even checked their accounts and everything is proper and without any suspicion if they send such notices then it upset all of us.”
Commenting on the after effects of I-T department, Miranda said, “As responsible citizens we will give all the details. But why did they suddenly ask us to submit the details. Why have they only targeted churches and not others? This notice has sent a wrong message to the Christian community leaving people upset and thus we have now decided to approach our MLAs and Ministers from Mormugao taluka as to what is their view and stand on such I-T notices given only to church body.” he said.
Similarly, the Parish Priest of St Andrew’s Church, Vasco, Fr Gabriel Coutinho, said, “I don’t know whether we are being targeted or not, but if the notices were issued to us then why not to all religious institutions? If it is in right directions then why only to churches, our people are not happy at all.”
