A Division bench of the Bombay High Court at Goa comprising of Justice F.M.Reis and Justice Nutan Sardessai today adjourned to September 21st the further hearing on the petition filed by the beach cleaning contractor Bhumika Cleantech Services Pvt Ltd challenging the order passed last month by the Goa Lokayukta.
Goa Lokayukta P.K.Misra who is probing the alleged multi crore beach cleaning scam had on 12th August by an interim order directed the Director of Tourism that after proper scrutiny of the pending bills, half of the amount payable to the contractor be kept in a fixed deposit so that appropriate directions can be issued after the completion of the detailed investigation. The Lokayukta while also directing that notice be issued to Goa’s Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar seeking his comments on the complaints about the alleged multi-crore beach cleaning scam adjourned the matter to 3rd October. Incidentally the government after the Lokayukta’s order has already served a one month's notice terminating the beach cleaning contract. Adv. Shivam Desai and Adv. Ashwin Bhobe appearing on behalf of the beach cleaning contractor today sought that the High Court stay the Lokayukta’s order but the same was vehemently opposed by Adv. Amey Kakodkar and me. Ironically Advocate General Saresh Lotlikar as was expected did not defend the Lokayukta’s order. It was submitted to the Court that the petition filed by the errant beach cleaning contractor who had siphoned crores of tax-payer’s money was in clear collusion and rank connivance with the Government. Pleading that the Goa Lokayukta be allowed to complete the probe unhindered it was pointed out to the Court that the beach cleaning tender was a multi crore scam and that the contractors instead of cleaning the beaches had only emptied the State coffers. The Court’s attention was drawn that the then Director of Tourism Mr. Ameya Abhyankar on 11th December last year in a four page note while pointing out that major conditions of the tender were not fulfilled with detailed reasons had proposed that the department go in for a fresh tender but that the government the very next day transferred Ameya Abhyankar. It may be recalled that in September 2014 while Manohar Parrikar was the Chief Minister and Nikhil Desai the Director of Tourism, the Goa Government awarded the contract of Comprehensive Management of cleanliness of North Goa Beaches to Bhumika Cleantech Services Pvt Ltd at an annual cost of Rs 7, 51, 40,999 and the cleaning of South Goa beaches to Ram Cleansers & Developers Pvt Ltd at a cost of Rs 7, 04, 87,999. Both the companies are owned by Manish Mohata. Earlier the cleaning of Goa beaches was costing the State Government an average of a mere two crores annually. In the complaint to the Vigilance department on 18th May last year, it was sought that a F.I.R be registered against Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, the beach cleaning contractor Manish Mohata and Avdhoot Parrikar the brother of Manohar Parrikar amongst others in connection with the alleged multi-crore scam in the beach cleaning tender. While demanding a meticulous probe into the role of Avdhoot Parrikar in the beach cleaning scam it was submitted that though the name of Avdhoot Parrikar did not figure anywhere in the official papers, he had been the man behind the scene attending meetings between the beach cleaning contractors and government officials, complete details of which were also given to the Vigilance department. Aires Rodrigues Advocate High Court C/G-2, Shopping Complex Ribandar Retreat, Ribandar – Goa – 403006 Mobile No: 9822684372 Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012 Email: airesrodrigu...@gmail.com Or airesrodrig...@yahoo.com You can also reach me on Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues Twitter@rodrigues_aires www.airesrodrigues.com