Local Goa News

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

‘State going slow on action against corrupt officials’

Porvorim: Ridiculing the BJP's slogan of 'zero tolerance to corruption', Bicholim MLA Naresh Sawal (independent) accused the government of going slow in initiating action against officials involved in graft cases even as the chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar asserted that the BJP government had booked more cases than the previous regime.

Raising the issue of cases investigated by the anti-corruption branch (ACB) of the vigilance department, Sawal said that hardly any cases have been chargesheeted and alleged that the government has no will to act on corrupt officials most of whom were caught red-handed while accepting bribes.
Parsekar further stated that it is only after his government came to power that the directorate of vigilance which had become dormant under the previous Congress-regime, was made active. "Only eight cases were registered since its inception in 2008 till 2012," Parsekar said, adding that his government was serious about eradicating corruption. Of the total 46 cases registered with vigilance directorate, he said 39 cases came to be registered after the BJP government came to power in March 2012.
"If the government is serious about acting against corruption, then it should cut off the hands of the corrupt," said Sawal, while reminding the BJP-led government of its election promise of 'zero tolerance to corruption'.
Responding to Sawal's accusation, chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar said this type of language doesn't augur well in a democracy. Even in the case of proven criminal or a thief, the legal course has to be followed.
"It looks like the MLA has come with his sword unsheathed. This is a democracy and in a democracy, even if a person is known as an established criminal or a cheat, it has to be proven so. You cannot cut off the hands of thieves. This is a democracy," said Parsekar.
Parsekar further stated that it is only after his government came to power that the directorate of vigilance which had become dormant under the previous Congress-regime, was made active.
"Only eight cases were registered since its inception in 2008 till 2012," said Parsekar, adding that his government was serious about eradicating corruption. Of the total 46 cases registered with the vigilance directorate, he said 39 cases came to be registered after the BJP government came to power in March 2012.
Sawal responding to the repeated statements that more cases are booked during the present regime, said that it must be because corruption has increased.

TOI Goa News

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