PANAJI: Shiv Sena (UBT) Goa Rajya Pramukh Jitesh Kamat has alleged that there is a massive corruption in the work is being tendered and executed for the upcoming international event of exposition of Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier at Old Goa.
Among the tenders drawn, Kamat read out the prices of some of the items, such as Rs 3105 per square meter for fixing coconut leaves on wooden battens and rafters i.e. around Rs 4,000 to 5,000 per leaf and Rs 10,695 per square meter for a bamboo mat windows. A good local teak wood window can be made at a lower cost than what has been estimated. The cost of making a Bamboo mat door by fixing Bamboo mat on a frame of mango wood is around Rs 35000 whereas the doors of wood like Nano, Jackfruit are available in the market at the price of 7000 to 8000 rupees and 16000 to 20000 rupees for a “local teakwood” door with a frame, opined Kamat. Thus a simple hut is costing Rs 13 lakhs.
Kamat made a serious allegation that on one hand Chief Minister Pramod Sawant shows a dream of building a pakka house for Niz Goykars at Rs 15 to 20 lakh and on the other hand his own department is wasting tax payers money by spending Rs 13 lakh on temporary huts. Kamat informed that all the above exorbitant rates have been determined by rate analysis by taking manipulated quotations from the open market.
Kamat alleged that in some works, a conspiracy is being planned to loot money by manipulating the measurements. Kamat has expressed his suspicion that after successful completion of the said events, bills will be raised after dismantling the works like German Hangar Shamiyana, platform, mandap so that no one can challenge the measurements of the actual quantities.
Kamat alleged that out of Rs 100 crore allocated for roads and Rs 50 crore for the building at least 30% of the amount will go into everyone’s pockets. Kamat has harshly criticized that the existing Bharatiya Janata Party government is committing the sin of corruption by destroying the sanctity of the saint’s festival.
In this way, Kamat has asked an ironic question whether the Chief Minister were referring to the same streamlining of the corruption by increasing the prices of goods through rate analysis and on the other hand by manipulating measurements of quantities.
Kamat has warned the department that he will personally take measurements of the work done to compare it with the final bills and urged Journalists, activists and public to accompany him while measuring the actual quantities on site.
Kamat has said that when a cat drinks stolen milk with its eyes closed, it also thinks that no one is watching it. However, Kamat argues that just as a cat is not aware that everyone is watching, the corruption of most of the ministers in the Bharatiya Janata Party government are well known to the public despite their secrecy. Does the Chief Minister have no idea of such a huge corruption in his own department or is ignoring it? If the Chief Minister has no idea about the corrupt affairs going on under his own hands, then he should consult me, stated Kamat further demanding a thorough inquiry be made into the estimates prepared by manipulation and strict action should be taken against the officers involved.
Kamat has said that he will bring this matter to the notice of the respected Archbishop and Governor of Goa and request them to take strict steps to rid the world-famous Sacred Relic Exposition of corruption.
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