PANAJI: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar on Wednesday demanded the immediate sacking of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant over the alleged cash-for-jobs scam and the fake Excise Commissioner case, calling for a court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into alleged corruption and forged government orders.
Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Chodankar questioned how Ajit Shankhwalkar, accused in the fake Excise Commissioner case, could allegedly move freely through government offices alongside police personnel. “The only acceptable solution is for the Chief Minister to resign, or for the central BJP leadership and the Prime Minister to step in,” Chodankar said.
He alleged that FIRs had been registered in cases linked to the cash-for-jobs controversy but charge sheets had not been filed, while evidence had allegedly been deliberately destroyed. He also claimed that a similar fake-signature scheme had occurred in the Electricity Department, involving transactions worth crores of rupees.
Referring to recent firing incidents in Porvorim, Chodankar alleged links to collection agents associated with the Chief Minister and questioned whether the Home Department could conduct an impartial investigation. “The Home Minister cannot conduct a fair investigation, which is why we demand an immediate court-monitored SIT probe,” he said.
GPCC spokesperson Samil Volvoikar questioned how a person allegedly using forged documents and the Chief Minister's signature could enter government offices, access files and issue instructions to staff. “Who could dare to do such a thing unless backed by someone powerful at the very top?” Volvoikar asked. He pointed out that the Excise Department falls directly under the Chief Minister and questioned who stood to benefit from money allegedly collected through fraudulent orders. Accusing the government of failing to take concrete action against those responsible, Volvoikar demanded Sawant's resignation.
The Congress also accused the BJP and the Election Commission of manipulating electoral rolls through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, alleging that 1,39,634 voters had been deleted without proper verification, notice or hearings. Chodankar claimed that the process violated Sections 21 and 22 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. He questioned the notification issued on November 3, 2025, and the decision to set aside the electoral roll updated on January 6, 2025, as the baseline for the revision.
According to Chodankar, voters had been removed under categories such as “permanently shifted” without adequate verification. “Out of a sample of 100 deleted voters, only 10 who realised their names were missing were able to file objections and receive hearings,” he claimed, adding that the remaining 90 were unaware their names had been deleted. The Congress demanded the restoration of all 1,39,634 voters and a return to the January 2025 electoral roll. Chodankar said the party was pursuing legal action against the SIR process and would not allow nearly 10 per cent of voters to be disenfranchised.
GPCC spokesperson Savio Coutinho alleged that discrepancies in the rolls pointed to possible manipulation. Citing examples from Canacona, he referred to entries claiming that several details were identical. Coutinho also questioned the alleged acceptance of Aadhaar cards alone for voter transfers without supporting documents such as electricity bills. Chodankar further demanded the resignation of the State Election Commissioner, alleging that the office had compromised its independence and was acting in favour of the BJP. He also questioned the timing of the by-election following the death of MLA Ravi Naik, which he alleged had been delayed until April 9.
Chodankar also addressed allegations of a proposed “New Goa Congress” backed by Rs 100 crore in BJP funding, saying party members, including Nilesh Kambli, had been warned against anti-party activities. The Congress said it had lodged police complaints over alleged forged signatures and fraudulent documents and would continue its legal challenge to the SIR process alongside Rahul Gandhi's national campaign for electoral transparency.
