With the Goa government having now directed that every file must be cleared within three days, we will have to see how soon the Chief Secretary who is also the Chief Vigilance Officer acts on the report submitted by the Directorate of Vigilance after examining the complaint over the exorbitant expenditure incurred and the serious procedural lapses in holding that gala Swearing-in-ceremony of Goa Chief Minister and his eight Ministers which was held on March 28th at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Bambolim.
That 18 minute swearing in ceremony had cost the taxpayers a whopping Rs 5, 59, 25, 805 (Rupees five crore fifty nine lakhs twenty five thousand eight hundred five) while the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) incurred expenditure of a further Rs 72, 21.972 (rupees seventy two lakhs twenty one thousand nine hundred and seventy two) on the 134 vehicles hired for VIPs and their security attending that swearing in ceremony.
There was no transparency and accountability whatsoever in the holding of that event and the entire process of appointing the event management company M/S Vinsan Graphics was apparently stage-managed and a mere eye-wash.
The Vigilance department needs to fix responsibility on those responsible for this colossal waste of public funds and loss to the exchequer on account of the inflated bills. Those guilty must be brought to book.
