Goa BJP minister takes corruption swipe at CM Sawant's department, Opposition demands strong action
New Delhi: Goa's Art and Culture Minister, Govind Gaude, on Monday made serious allegations against his own government, accusing it of corruption. His remark came during a Prerna Din function organised by the tribal welfare department.
Labelling serious charges, the minister alleged that the files of contractors are cleared in exchange for bribes, demanding a clarification from the Tribal Welfare Department, which is under Goa CM Pramod Sawant.
'A huge amount of taxpayers' money is allotted to the tribal welfare department. If it's unable to organise this programme efficiently, then it only shows a lack of control over the administration,' Gaude was heard saying in a video shared by Prudent Media.
'The files of the contractors are handled under the Shram Shakti Bhavan building on the sly. And they think we don't know of such things,' he added.
According to the reports, Gaude also questioned the government over the construction of a tribal bhavan. He asked why the project was still pending when the foundation stone was laid during his tenure as the tribal minister. Opposition Launches Scathing Attack Against Government
The opposition launched a scathing attack against the Sawant government and demanded governor P S Sreedharan Pillai to take note of the minister's comments and dismiss Pramod Sawant-led state govt.
'Gaude's allegations against the CM exposes BJP govt's corruption. The anti-corruption branch should probe these claims and take action against those guilty of bribery,' said opposition leader Yuri Alemao. 'It is time for the BJP to prioritise transparency and root out corruption. Hope BJP doesn't say it is 'their internal matter'. Party with differences is exposed by 'differences'?'
GFP president and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai said BJP has cultivated and encouraged corruption in every department.
'Cabinet minister Govind Gaude's statement that contractors need to pay bribes to get files cleared is not much of a revelation, but a sign of utter frustration with his own govt. Over the years, I've exposed innumerable scams, small and big, that have dragged Goa down the path of irreversible ruin,' Sardesai said.
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