MAPUSA
Stung by strictures passed by the retired Goa Lokayukta, Ports Minister Michel Lobo on Tuesday dismissed the findings of the anti-corruption ombudsman as a deliberate attempt to malign his image.
He also said the Lokayukta had come under pressure and was intentionally targeting ministers in the government.
He said the Lokayukta passed orders that were illegal, unreasonable and in violation of principles of natural justice on some vague complaints.
“Who is he to recommend about me whether I am fit or unfit? I am asking again. Who is this Lokayukta to tell I am fit or unfit,” said Lobo, threatening to file defamation suit against the Lokayukta.
Justice (retd) P K Misra who recently demitted the office of Goa Lokayukta had in one of his orders called Michael Lobo ‘unfit’ to be a minister and left it to the chief minister to take appropriate action.
Lobo said the findings of the Lokayukta were totally wrong and he will soon file his report to the chief minister in the matter. “I am hundred percent confident the CM will set the order aside. He will not accept the report,” he said. The Ports Minister said that the complainant had made false allegations based on vague complaints which were actually disposed of by the High Court.
He said since the complainant failed in the court, she approached the Lokayukta with the same vague complaints.
He further informed that complaint was made when he was the NGPDA chairman and the Lokayukta order refers to him as minister, which was completely off the mark. “I respect the judiciary. But this is not right what the ex-Lokayukta has done. This is not fair as the High Court had disposed of the matter,” he said.
Lobo also said that Justice (retd) Misra may have passed the “unreasonable” orders in anger as the government had not given him extension and felt that the government will have to be very careful while appointing the Lokayukta in future.
Interestingly, Justice (retd) P K Misra had passed a series of orders which are recommendatory in nature, but the government has so far failed to take action on any of them.
Asked if all the orders passed by the Goa Lokayukta were wrong, Lobo said he would not like to comment.
‘Sanjit is good officer’
MAPUSA: Defending the former managing director of GSIDC, who also came under the radar of the Goa Lokayukta, Ports Minister Michael Lobo said senior bureaucrat, Sanjit Rodrigues, was a good officer and who took “risks” while discharging their duties.
“These officers are taking risks. Not many people may know that the Atal Sethu bridge work was started by Rodrigues,” Lobo said. “I am not praising Sanjit. He is a good officer of the government,” he added.
The retired Goa Lokayukta, Justice P K Misra while demanding major disciplinary proceedings against the former GSIDC MD in his order had described him as spineless and who is backed by political God Fathers.
