Adv. Aires Rodrigues has today given President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi details of the mega scam that has come to light in connection with the Swearing-in-Ceremony of Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and his eight Ministers held on March 28th at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Bambolim.
In a letter jointly addressed to the President of India and Prime Minister, Adv. Rodrigues has drawn their attention that the swearing in ceremony has cost the taxpayers a whopping Rs 5, 59, 25, 805 (Rupees five crore fifty nine lakhs twenty five thousand eight hundred five).
Stating that this amount does not include the rental charges of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium where the function was held and the expenditure incurred on the advertisements released in the print, electronic media, radio channels besides the huge fleet of cars hired for VVIP security and buses to ferry the people from across Goa to the venue, Adv. Rodrigues in his letter has stated that after including all these costs the total expenditure incurred on that swearing- in- ceremony is expected to total up to seven crores.
Adv. Rodrigues in his letter has also stated that it was so distraughting that Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai as Custodian of the State did not prevail upon the Government not to incur such a huge expenditure on this function especially in view that the State coffers are in dire straits with the Government borrowing every month to make ends meet.
Adv. Rodrigues has further stated that as an austerity measure that swearing-in-ceremony could have been held in a modest way at the newly constructed Darbar Hall in Goa Raj Bhavan.
Drawing the President and Prime Minister’s attention that there was no transparency and accountability whatsoever in the selection of the Event management Company to hold that event, Adv. Rodrigues in his letter has stated that the whole process was apparently stage-managed and a mere eye-wash while the event management Company M/S Vinsan Graphics has exorbitantly overbilled for the event.
Pointing out that poor beneficiaries of Social Welfare schemes have not received their monthly dole for the last five months on account of the State coffers being empty, Adv. Rodrigues has in his letter stated that given this sad and grim scenario, crores of rupees were recklessly and needlessly drained on that swearing in ceremony which was an unpardonable criminal waste of public funds.
Adv. Rodrigues has urged the President of India and the Prime Minister to seek an explanation from the Goa Government over this huge expenditure unnecessarily incurred and the dubious procedure followed in holding that gala Swearing-in-ceremony.
Adv. Rodrigues has also sought that those responsible for this colossal waste of public funds be brought to book.
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