Commission to probe
co-operatives
Sandesh Prabhudesai
17 May 2001
Following a major scandal being unearthed
in the Goa State Co-operative Bank, the apex bank of the tourist
state, chief minister Manohar Parrikar has decided to set
up a commission to probe into illegalities of all the co-operative
banks and societies.
The opposition parties have however clamped
down upon the BJP government, alleging that arrest of two
Congress legislators in two different cases indicates clear-cut
political vendetta.
While a joint meeting of the Goa PCC and
the CLP today demanded that illegalities of all the co-operative
banks and societies be probed into, Parrikar reacted immediately,
making an announcement in this regard.
At least three leading BJP leaders, including
ministers Ramakant Khalap and Prakash Velip as well as South
Goa MP are running leading co-operative banks and a society
in the state. Parrikar said his probe would also include these
institutions.
In response to the arrests of their two colleagues,
CLP leader Luizinho Faleiro said the Congress would also file
a complaint about the misdeeds in other co-operative banks.
The police have acted against a complaint filed by its directors
against Somnath Zuwarkar, the MLA and chairman of the Goa
State Co-operative Bank.
Dr Wilfred de Souza, former chief minister
and leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, has also described
it as witch-hunting rather than clean up operation. But Parrikar
claims that it is his sincere effort to clean up Goan politics.
"I admit that mere criminal action cannot
root out corruption and even digging the past is wrong. But
it is necessary at this stage so that politicians would think
ten times before looting the state in future", says the chief
minister.
He plans to appoint financial experts on
the commission, which would primarily investigate into criminal
nature and other irregularities and suggest ways and means
to clean up the co-operative sector in the state.
Faleiro however claims that the BJP is least
interested in keeping the co-operative sector alive. In fact,
he alleges that the government action has forced at least
1000 co-operative societies to close their shop.
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