The mission of TheGoan of redefining journalism has begun. Reacting to last weeks lead storyof your newspaper, the PWD minister Sudin Dhavlikar has announced a vigilanceinquiry into the frenzied issuance of 214 tenders worth 60 crores from just one division of the PWD, 48 hoursbefore the code of conduct for the last assembly elections, by the previousCongress led government.
Significantly the inquiry will also delve into the following:
a) If the dueprocess was followed for the issuance of all tenders including on whoserecommendation each of the works were rendered
b) Theissuance of a high percentage short term non planned tenders, with a limit ofRs 10 lakhs
c) If the workorders were indeed issued on December 22-23 or actually a week later but datedDec 22 -23.
Meanwhile, the buck passing has started. The then PWD ministerChurchill Alemao and the former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat passed the buck,with the Alemao blaming department officials and his former Chief Minister.Kamat has dismissed it saying he wasn’t the PWD minister and feels no need toreact.
Meanwhile, theExecutive Engineer of Division 6 of the department Anil Ringane, who The Goan spoke to and recorded theconversation has opened a can of worms by saying he was under pressure from the(then) minister, the CM and other MLA’s
“I am shocked by such a hugeirregularity over a period of just 48 hours” responded Dhavlikar to The Goanexpose. “200 Tenders in 2 days smacks clearly of irregularities. No one can dosomething as atrocious as this”, said Dhavlikar informed that hisDepartment is investigating if the work orders issued had proper agreements ornot and whether they were in order. “We have reasons to believe that a lot ofthese orders would have actually been of December 28 and 29 and would have beenpredated and released”, says Dhavlikar.
The Goan expose hasput the Govt on its back foot and with strong reactions coming across partylines. Promising non-partisan justice PWD Minister Dhavlikar said “If we couldnot hesitate to suspend Division XV Executive Engineer for corruption, there isno reason why the same cannot be repeated for Division VI”. Anil Ringane is Executive Engineer of Division VI for over the past six years.
