BLAME GAME BEGINS IN MINING SCAM

MARGAO: Alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government was a corrupt government, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar on Wednesday charged that Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant was also involved in the scam of second renewal of 88 mining leases and added that the Congress party will forward their complaint with the order of Goa Lokayukta to the CBI, mentioning names of former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar, former Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Pramod Sawant and two officials as an accused.
Speaking to reporters at Margao, Chodankar said that they will exhaust all the options if the CBI fails to take up the matter for inquiry. He also demanded that the two government officers involved in the renewal of mining leases be sacked immediately.

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"Former Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar in his statement has stated that he was pressurised to grant the mining leases by few leaders from the government. Even present CM Pramod Sawant has pressurised him. On the other hand, Sawant on Tuesday said that his government is not bound to implement the recommendations given by the Goa Lokayukta. Hence it proves that he too is involved in the scam. Besides, now he too becomes the accused in the case and hence he has no right to take up this matter for further process," Chodankar claimed.
He also said that the stand taken by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) with regard to the complaint filed by Congress party and the decision given by the Lokayukta was very much contradicting. ACB had said that there was no prima facia evidence in the matter of renewal of 88 mining leases, wherein Congress had alleged that even former CM Parrikar was involved in the matter.
"Congress party had filed a complaint in this matter before the government. And that time IPS officer Kartik Kashyap had replied to us stating there is no prima facie evidence in the complaint and case is being closed. But, now it is very much clear that Kashyap has acted under the pressure of the government," Chodankar added.
Goa Lokayukta in its order said that he lost the faith in all the investigating agencies which includes ACB. "This proves how the investigating agencies are working under the pressure of the government," he said.
Demanding the government should implement the recommendations given by the Goa Lokayukta, Chodankar said, "This BJP government is the most corrupt government. Basically this government is an immoral government and which has entered from the back door," he stated.
The GPCC president further informed that there were other orders of Goa Lokayukta which were pending for inquiry for very long times and which include CCP's pay parking scam and Cyberage scam.

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