Our cultureteaches us to be deferential and respectful to the elderly. Our profession, asjournalists, teaches us to respect facts and facts alone. In our response tothe leader of the opposition and the senior-most MLA in Goa, Pratapsingh RaojiRane’s uncalled for and personal remarks, albeit indirectly at this writer, wewill take a leaf out of both our culture and our profession.
With all therespect at our command, we feel that the venerable Mr Rane’s anger should bebetter directed at his colleague Babu Kavlekar, because material facts available with The Goan will be enough to lay bare not just what was reported buta lot more that Kavlekar said, in his conversation with the team from The Goan which met him on July 1. (see boxon full details of the meeting).
The Goan merely reported an outburst of aformer GIDC Chairman with his back to the wall, when he was presented with hardmaterial evidence and documents, to establish large scale irregularities in theGIDC during his tenure. Yet again, The Goan claims no credit forsourcing exclusive documents. Most of the documents are on record and are apart of a High Court judgment and a CAG report, both of which, without anyambiguity, hold the establishment of the GIDC guilty of fraudulent allotment ofSEZ plots. We only presented them again on Goa’s behalf to ask why no FIR hasbeen lodged and why have the guilty not been questioned.
Kavlekar hadno real defense except saying his hands were not on the till. ‘Maine SEZ mamle mein kisi ka ek cup chaibhi nahi pi” (I haven’t even had a cup of tea with anyone concerned with SEZ, acommon euphemism for not having received a single penny), he told the teamfrom The Goan. If this is dismissed as putting words into his mouth, all wewill say is that we will produce proof and time it effectively.
Kavlekar should,at times like these, turn to Page 172 of the High Court judgment on SEZs : “Huge lands, which are public properties,were allotted in a manner not known to law. The allotments are illegal, beingarbitrary and unreasonable”
As far asKavlekar telling Mr Rane that he made no such statement, let us understand thathe would hardly give a statement. He had a conversation, only a part of whichwas reported. Since an investigation has commenced, The Goan will do all it can to assist it with evidence ofeverything it has reported and more.
There’sanother point that Mr Rane may consider. The period of the GIDC SEZ controversycoincided with his tenure as Chief Minister. Hence, can he really walk awayfrom it all? It will actually help him if the truth comes out and action is takenagainst those who looted Goa.
Hopefully,this isn’t a third class comment.
