PANAJI (GOA) : The Goa Government has filed a petition before the Bombay High Court at Goa challenging the orders passed by the Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) last year on the complaint filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues over the alleged 51 lakh food scam at last year’s BRICS Summit held in Goa. The High Court is expected to hear the petition on Monday, July 31.
Goa Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma today in his reply to the show cause notice issued to him by the GHRC informed the Commission of the government decision’s to challenge the orders passed by the GHRC.
The Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) comprising of AD Salkar and JA Keny on October 18, 2016, while observing that prima facie it appeared that there was a major food scam had directed the Chief Secretary to conduct a thorough investigation and to fix responsibility on defaulting officials. The GHRC had further directed that payment to the Bicholim based contractor M/S Amonkar Classic Caterers be withheld pending inquiry into the entire episode.
Adv. Aires Rodrigues in his complaint to the GHRC on October 14 last year had submitted that the contract for a whopping Rs 51, 60,000 was given to Amonkar Classic caterers for supply of food to police personnel posted on duty for the BRICS summit but then the contract was sub-let to a road-side contractor who clandestinely prepared the food in an open place owned by the police department next to the Verna Church cemetery.
Pointing out that road side labourers were engaged for cooking the substandard food in most unhygienic condition with water stored in open plastic barrels and used for cooking, Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint further submitted that, with thick bushes and grass all around, insects and cockroaches found their way in the food served to the police personnel.
Adv. Rodrigues also stated that despite the GHRC having more than once reminded the government that police personnel are human beings and should so be treated, the authorities had failed to make any proper arrangements including food, water and toilet facilities for the police personnel.
Adv. Rodrigues further stated that while the government had gone overboard in making all arrangements for the visiting dignitaries, it had conveniently neglected to cater to the basic fundamental and human rights of its own police personnel.
Stating that the authorities had lost sight that police personnel too have a personal life, Adv. Rodrigues pointed out that the government cannot be allowed to be a cause for ruining their health and lives.