KAMAT DARES CM SAWANT TO SHOW EVIDENCE THAT HE ALLOWED INCREASE OF COAL HANDLING AT MPT
PANAJI: Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat on Thursday dared Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to produce documents signed by him granting permission to the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) to increase the coal handling capacity.
Reacting to Sawant’s charge that Kamat when he was the Chief Minister gave permission to the MPT to increase coal handling capacity in March 2012, Kamat said, “I challenge CM to show documents signed by me. Don’t make baseless allegations but produce one document that I have signed.”
Asked whether the government was trying to scare him over the coal handling due to ongoing agitations in the State, Kamat said that he went through lot of such fears in the past. “I went through lost of harassment and fears in the past. But I don’t wish to talk on it since they (who harassed me) are not in this world,” he said obviously referring to former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar.
Kamat also asked media persons to do investigative journalism and reveal the truth. He said, “I believe that your are investigative journalist and try to find out where is my signature, who has signed and what has been signed. When time comes I will produce documents which I have in my possession.”
Former Chief Minister and Poriem MLA Pratapsinh Rane, who was also present said that the chief minister should stop coal handling if he has guts.
On November 13, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had alleged that it was the government during Kamat’s tenure that allowed the increase of coal handling at the MPT.
During the inauguration of reconstructed Parra village panchayat building, Sawant had claimed that he had documents to show that Kamat had given the permission to increase coal handling by 5.0 million tonnes at the MPT on March 2, 2012 when model code of conduct was in force for Goa Assembly elections.
Kamat was Chief Minister of Goa from 8th June 2007 to 9th March 2012.