PANJIM: The swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and eight of his Cabinet ministers held on March 28th cost the taxpayers a whopping Rs 5.59 crore.
This has been revealed in the information obtained by social activist Adv Aires Rodrigues under the Right to Information (RTI) Act from the General Administration Department (GAD).
However, the amount does not include the rental charges of Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, Bambolim, where the function was held and the expenditure incurred on the advertisements released in the print, electronic media and on radio/FM channels.
As per the file notings, a note was moved on March 22, 2022 by the GAD that the swearing in ceremony is scheduled on March 28, at Dr Shyama Prasd Mukerjee Indoor Stadium, Bambolim, at 11 am and outlining 12 logistic arrangements to be made. That note was approved by all the officials including the Chief Minister and the Governor on the same day.
On March 23, Under Secretary (GAD) Shripad Arlekar wrote a confidential letter to the Director of Information and Publicity to identify and allot the management of the swearing-in ceremony to an appropriate event management agency empanelled under his department.
In his reply next day, Director of Information and Publicity Dipak Bandekar informed the GAD that considering the short time left for the swearing-in ceremony it would not be possible to follow the requisite Codal formalities and was so forwarding a list of seven empanelled advertising agencies while suggesting that Vasco-based M/s Vinsan Graphics was earlier appointed as event management agency for opening and closing ceremony of Diamond Jubilee Year of Goa’s Liberation and National Parliament conclaves by following necessary Codal formalities.
The same day, i.e March 24, a note was moved by the GAD whether M/s Vinsan Graphics be appointed or whether to go for prescribed requisite Codal formalities. Chief Minister on March 25, approved that the management of the swearing-in ceremony event be given to M/s Vinsan Graphics and accordingly on March 26 citing paucity of time the work order was issued entrusting event management of the function to M/s Vinsan Graphics.
As per the documents obtained under RTI Act, M/s Vinsan Graphics on April 13, sent their invoice for an amount of Rs 4,79,11,245, which was received by the government on the very same day. M/s Vinsan Graphics later sent a revised invoice for an amount of Rs 5,59,25,805 which invoice though also dated April 13, 2022 was received by the government only on April 22.
