Just ahead of the assembly elections in Maharashtra, trouble seems to be brewing up in neighbouring Goa for the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant as few ruling party leaders and legislators have expressed their resentment to the party high command in Delhi based on several allegations and complaints by the Opposition ranks to Central and State investigating stakeholders.
Many state BJP members who are augmenting the ongoing membership drive of the party in the State has cited low turnout as they complained eroding Sawant’s popularity who is allegedly embroiled in several controversies which could be a threat to BJP’s fortune in Goa.
“Our party had set up a benchmark by putting leaders like late Manohar Parrikar and in a small state which depends on tourism economy has to always think on this line only,” a party legislator camping in Delhi said.
Opposition leaders too like Vijai Sardesai and Amit Palekar, have raised serious concerns about the CM’s policies and schemes and have written letters to probing agencies.
While one allegations against the CM is similar to the ongoing Delhi liquor scam which led to arrest of top leaders including Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Sardesai has shed light on instances of excessive spending like the expense of Rs 40 lakh on laddoos (sweets) alone. This, along with a total of Rs 4.32 crore spent on transporting VIPs since 2022 and an additional Rs 1.33 crore spent on five-star hotel stays.
One of the most significant allegations is of land grabbing. Sardesai, who is also Goa Forward Party leader has accused Sawant of failing to address rampant land fraud in the state. Despite the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and a commission led by Justice (retd) V.K. Jadhav, progress has been sluggish, with only 22 out of 93 reported cases resulting in FIRs.
Another major issue is the controversial Investment Promotion Board (IPB) Bill, which aimed to grant sweeping powers to the IPB over local panchayats and municipalities. The bill faced stiff resistance in the Assembly, with opposition members arguing that it would undermine local governance and facilitate indiscriminate land-use changes, particularly in eco-sensitive zones.
Sardesai has also intensified his criticism of Sawant and his cabinet colleague Atanasio Monserrate, accusing them of a massive 50,000 crore scam involving Zuari Agro Chemicals Ltd’s (ZACL) land.
Rebel BJP MLAs and opposition MLAs have pointed out that despite promises from Sawant to address these concerns and to withdraw illegal permissions, construction and sale of plots continue unabated.
The discrepancy in the land’s valuation—from 25 paise per square metre in 1971 to Rs 1,19,000 per square metre currently—further fuels suspicions of a massive scam?.
The “Cash for Job” scam under Chief Minister’s administration has also exposed deep-rooted corruption in the recruitment processes. Congress MP Capt. Viriato Fernandes accused a woman from Sanquelim, Sawant’s constituency, of taking bribes in exchange for securing government job postings, particularly in the police department.
Additionally, Sardesai revealed another scam in the recruitment of Lower Division Clerks (LDC) at the South Goa Collectorate.
Recent reports have revealed that District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds, meant for public welfare and development in mining-affected areas of Goa, were allegedly diverted to Sai Nursing Home, a private facility associated with Sawant.
