WHO MISSED THE
DATE (FOR 2016-17)
>> As many as 14 members of the Goa legislative assembly
>> Eighteen Zilla Panchayat members
>> 11 corporators of the Corporation of the City of Panaji
------------------------------------------------
PANAJI: Goa's politicos, including 13 legislators, have again missed the date to file details of their assets and liabilities before the Lokayukta as required by law despite the recent amendment extending the deadline to October 31 from the earlier June 30.
As many as 14 members of the Goa legislative assembly failed to submit the details of their personal financial statement, including assets and liabilities, for the financial year 2016-17, sources in the Lokayukta office said.
Eighteen Zilla Panchayat members and 11 corporators of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) including two former Mayors also failed to submit these personal financial details of their assets and liabilities for the year 2016-17.
Recently during the Monsoon Session of the Goa legislature, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar piloted the amendment in the Lokayukta Act, which extended the deadline from June 30 to November 5. Parrikar had said the June 30 deadline was unrealistic as it was too close to the date for filing of income-tax returns.
But despite the extension in deadline the public functionaries failed to give their statements to the Lokayukta Justice (Retd) P K Mishra.
Justice Mishra is expected to file his report citing the failure of the politicians in office to submit their details to the Governor Mridula Sinha in the next few days, the sources said.
Among the CCP councilors who failed to submit information on their assets include two former mayors and a former deputy mayor.
Former mayors Vaidehi Naik and Shubham Chodankar and former deputy mayor Lata Parekh are among those who missed the deadline. Sitting corporators Kishore Shastry, Reshma Karishetty, Dinesh Salgaonkar, Pascola Mascarenhas, Menino Da Cruz, Shubhada Shirgaonkar, Arti Halarnkar, and Rupesh Halarnkar are the others who failed to submit their financial statement.
Under Section 21 (I) of the amended Goa Lokayukta Act 2011, every public functionary falling within the purview of the Lokayukta for the purpose of investigation under the Act, is required to file statement of his assets and liabilities within six months from the date he enters upon his office and thereafter before November 5 of every year.
The names of the 13 sitting legislators who missed the deadline, however, were not available.
This is the second time that politicians have failed to file their financial details before the anti-corruption Ombudsman. The Lokayukta Act however does not provide for any punitive action against the defaulters.
