PANAJI
In a fresh development into an inquiry in the alleged food scam at BRICS Summit, the Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) has directed the Bicholim-based Amoncar Classic Caterers to produce receipts of the nine functions of dignitaries it had catered to including birthday and wedding functions of politicians and their kin.
The Commission headed by retired Justice U V Bakre and its members - former District Judges Desmond D’Costa and Pramod Kamat, issued the direction to the proprietor of the Amoncar Classic Caterers following a cross-examination on Friday.
In cross-examination, Amoncar admitted that in his petition filed before the High Court in 2020 he had claimed to have catered for nine dignitaries which included 5,000 guests at the wedding reception of (the present Governor of Himachal Pradesh) Rajendra Arlekar’s daughter, 5,000 guests for then Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar’s 60th birthday, 6,000 guests for the wedding reception of then CM (late) Manohar Parrikar’s son, 5,000 guests at the wedding reception of former Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar’s daughter, 5,000 guests for Mahila Mandal meeting organised by former minister Milind Naik, 5,000 guests at ex-Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar’s birthday, 2,000 guests for the birthday of then minister Dayanand Mandrekar, 3,000 guests at ex-MLA Kiran Kandolkar’s birthday and 2,000 guests at Anant Shet’s birthday celebration.
The cross-examination will continue on November 10.
Petitioner Aires Rodrigues’ complaint to the Commission had alleged that the contract for a whopping Rs 51.60 lakh was given to Amoncar Classic Caterers without a proper tender for the supply of food to police personnel posted on duty for the BRICS Summit and it was sub-let to a roadside contractor who clandestinely prepared unhygienic food in an open space at Verna.
The GHRC’s interim order directed that no payments be released by the government to the agency pending inquiry.
