PANAJI
Amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding allegations of misappropriation of funds and forgery within the Excise Department, another revelation indicates the department might have inadvertently contributed to the issue by ignoring transfers of most of its staff for several years.
Reliable sources disclosed to The Goan that the now-suspended Upper Division Clerk (UDC) Harish Naik “ believed to be the mastermind behind the scam “ served at the Pernem excise station for over 10 years. His transfer to Sattari last month came only after the Pernem-based licence holders accused him of cheating.
The UDC’s alleged accomplice and superior, Inspector Vibhuti Shetye, remained at the same posting for nearly five years.
Sources further said that several excise stations have staff including officers who have served well beyond the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) limit of three years. The most severely affected areas are the northern coastal belt, where thousands of new licences and renewals are processed annually.
In one particular case at a Bardez excise station, another UDC has held the same position for 15 years, raising serious questions about the department’s oversight and potential systemic issues.
Following the exposé by The Goan, the Excise Department suspended three officials “ UDC Naik, Inspector Shetye, and Tiswadi excise inspector Durgesh Naik “ on June 28, finding them prima facie guilty of the fraud, which is estimated to be around Rs 2 crore. So far, the department has managed to recover around Rs 28 lakh from the suspended UDC, which includes the interest amount. However, a police complaint into the matter is awaited.
Ironically, it took this exposé to prompt the Excise Department to conduct audits of all 11 excise stations as it is learnt that the headquarters have no record of taluka-wise licences beyond December 2022. According to a Twitter handle @99Goa, the last available updated figures are from December 15, 2021.
Guards in Excise too evade transfer by using political pressure
PANAJI: It’s not in the police force only; many in the Excise Department have also developed the art of evading transfers. Not just among administrative staff and their superiors as mentioned, many excise guards are also well-versed in retaining their place of posting using political pressure.
Sources have revealed that guards, who are supposed to be transferred within three months due to their field duties, have managed to halt their transfer orders. "Most transfers are put on hold due to political pressure, and you can find these orders which are kept in abeyance in office records," sources said.
