PANAJI
Ulhas Phaldesai, who is the brother of Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phaldesai, finds himself in the dock and may soon have to vacate his position as chairman of the Goa State Co-operative Bank Ltd, a top government official has said.
The minister's brother had lost a legal battle over his eligibility to hold the top post in the apex co-operative bank last year but somehow held on to the position, perhaps owing to the political din in the State leading to the recent assembly elections, the official who wished not to be identified, said.
Ulhas Phaldesai was elected as director and subsequently chairman of the BoD in September 2019, by virtue of being a representative of Vasco-based Sahakar Urban Co-operative Credit Society Ltd. However, the election of Phaldesai and that of the entire BoD of the Vasco society itself was struck down by the Co-operative Tribunal two months earlier.
The Co-operative Tribunal's order declaring Phaldesai's election to the BoD of the Vasco society passed scrutiny of the Bombay High Court at Goa twice with the latter dismissing his writ petition and also his review petition in August and September last year.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel, IAS, has been petitioned to institute a Vigilance inquiry into all financial decisions and matters of the bank, including expenditure incurred by Phaldesai as chairman and loans approved in meetings chaired by him.
Gurunath Naik, who petitioned the chief secretary, is a Panaji-based RTI activist and has cautioned of a possible scam with the GSCB Ltd currently in the process of recruiting staff for the Bank.
He has also demanded that the role of officials of the Registrar of Co-operative Societies in permitting Phaldesai to continue as chairman be probed as they were aware of the various judicial orders with the RCS being party to the proceedings.
