PORVORIM
The Vigilance Department has disappointed a “frustrated” BJP worker and several netizens who sought a Vigilance inquiry against Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, his cabinet, and some former ministers. Following weeks of the inquiry into each complaint, the department gave a clean chit but a handful of them including Minister Mauvin Godinho and ex-minister Mahadev Naik have pending inquiries against them into recent complaints.
Narahari Haldankar, who identified himself as a “frustrated karyakarta of BJP,” lodged a complaint against CM Sawant, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, and one Savio Martins, alleging job fraud. After a month-long inquiry, the complaint was closed on February 1, 2022.
In March 2022, two additional complaints accusing the CM, his cabinet, and MLAs of corruption were also closed. In the same month, another complaint filed by activist Gurunath Naik against the CM and his wife, alleging the amassing of disproportionate assets from January 2017 to January 2022, was also closed.
The details tabled to an unstarred question by Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao also reveal complaints against the Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude - under criticism for the non-tendered and sub-standard renovation works carried out at Kala Academy.
Two complaints have been lodged against him one of which alleges “illegalities, blatant corruption, favoritism, criminal breach of trust, etc.” and implicated his department officials and the Public Works Department (PWD) in connection with the Kala Academy. However, an inquiry into this complaint was closed on September 29, 2022, as the Anti-Corruption Branch conveyed to the department that no further action was necessary.
Similarly, another inquiry into the tur dal scam and the sugar meltdown, which prompted the government to take strict action, saw its closure on January 10, 2023.
In another noteworthy inquiry closure, Panaji MLA Atanasio Monserrate was cleared of two complaints, one of which was filed all the way from the United Kingdom by David Cleaver. The complaint filed in 2021 alleged that he had amassed disproportionate assets. Along with this, another complaint against his personal staff member, Nida Syed, was closed.
Minister Sudin Dhavalikar also faced two complaints, one of which was concerning the poor quality of road work during his previous tenure as PWD Minister. Godinho is facing an inquiry into an allegation of pushing his Panchayat Department into a loss of Rs 2.95 crore by not utilizing a hired panchayat premises.
Former Minister Mahadev Naik has found no relief too, as in two cases including the illegal transfer of leased land; inquiries are underway. One of these complaints has also dragged his former team IAS Sudhir Mahajan, Umeshchandra Joshi, Narayan Gad, and Sadanand Naik.
In an interesting development, former Power Minister Milind Naik, who experienced a bitter defeat in the last assembly election, had a complaint lodged against him about ill-gotten wealth. It was closed on March 29, 2022. Another complaint of bribery against the current Speaker of Bihar, Rajendra Arlekar has been closed.
