the goan I network
MAPUSA
Although Gomes resigned on Tuesday, the day AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal arrived in the State, the AAP leader, at a meeting with editors was guarded in his remarks on who would be the face of AAP in Goa, but hinted that a name would emerge.
The resignation took Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza by surprise. Linking the resignation to the FIR lodged against Gomes in a case that raised eyebrows, an angry D’Souza said, “Which department has filed the FIR? Not mine. My department has not done it. I called the SP crime branch to explain to me. I have called him tomorrow (Friday) at 3.30,” he said when asked if there were any political overtones in the FIR that was filed against his DMA.
The Anti-Corruption branch and the Directorate of Vigilance had last week registered an FIR against Elvis Gomes for the term when he was the managing director of Goa Housing Board in the case of irregularities and malpractices in GHB between 2007 and 2015. Along with him an FIR was also registered against former chairman of GHB, Nilkant Halarnkar.
The deputy chief minister said he wanted to understand what prompted the action against the officer.
“I want to understand why an FIR has been lodged against him. I want to see the copy. I want to see the Sections. What is in it? It could be anything,” D’Souza said further.
According to the deputy chief minister, Gomes was one of the better officers to work with and someone who was committed to his work.
“He was a good officer. Very proactive and someone
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who understood subjects very well,” he said.
He further said the trick of filing false complaints was played by everybody and everywhere and it was not restricted only to civil service.
“False complaints are made against judges too and their promotions are held up. Somebody else is promoted and then the complaint is withdrawn that’s how the system works,” he said.
Giving an example of Judge, Anuja Prabhudessai, he said a complaint was lodged against Prabhudessai when she was due for promotion.
“Her promotion was held up after a complaint was lodged against her. Somebody else was promoted then. She was promoted later,” he said.
Elvis exit leaves many questions unanswered
MARGAO: Ending a month long suspense, Director of Municipal Administration, Grade I officer Elvis Gomes has finally put in his papers from government service, but the moot question, however, still remains “ whether this Grade I bureaucrat will finally take the electoral plunge and take on the established political players in his native Cuncolim constituency where several players have positioned themselves.
Politics could have led Elvis to quit: DyCM
MAPUSA: Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza on Thursday inadvertently confirmed that the civil service officer Elvis Gomes had indeed put in his papers.
“Possible. There could be a political angle for his decision to resign. You could be right... You see for every reason there’s a reason,” D’Souza said when asked whether Gomes’ resignation from service had to do anything with he joining AAP. “You have to direct this question to the officer. He will be in a better position to answer you,” he added.
