Team Herald
PANJIM: Raising its strong opposition to the payment of interest worth Rs 133 crore to the promoters of Special Economic Zone (SEZ), the Congress party has termed the move as a “scam”.
The State cabinet last month decided to direct the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) to pay Rs 256 crore to seven SEZ promoters in a bid to unlock 38 lakh sq mts of land, allotted to them more than a decade back. The Cabinet also resolved to drop the cases related to SEZ pending before Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) post settlement.
Addressing media persons, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar questioned the need to go for settlement when the matter was pending before Supreme Court.
“Even if the settlement was done, why did government agreed to pay the interest amount of Rs 133 crore to the promoters. Only the principal amount, which comes to Rs 123 crore should have been paid. Why is the tax payers’ money being looted,” he questioned.
“This is a big scam and we strongly oppose it,” Chodankar said demanding that government should have recovered money from the promoters for locking the land for ten years, despite High Court ruling that the SEZ allocation was illegal.
Chodankar recalled that in sync with public sentiments, the then Congress government had withdrawn the SEZ policy in 2008.
“What was the urgency in taking a decision, when the Supreme Court was hearing the matter? There were possibilities that Supreme Court too would have ruled in favour of State,” he said.
Congress leader said, “If State Cabinet is so interested then it should pay Rs 133 crore from their individual pocket and not from the tax payer’s amount.”
Responding to a question on withdrawal of cases, Chodankar said, “Show me one FIR registered against a Congress leader. The FIR was filed against unknown persons.”
Former chief minister Pratapsingh Rane, then industries minister Luizinho Faleiro and former IDC chairman Chandrakant Kavalekar, were under ACB scanner, as the land allotment had taken place during their tenure. All the three were even questioned by ACB in the case.
