Panaji (Goa): The state government has appointed one-man inquiry commission to conduct inquiry into the charges of alleged corruption and irregularities into the Goa State Co-Operative Bank.

The inquiry commission headed by retired Justice Avinash Lawande has been asked to submit the inquiry report within 90 days.

The move comes almost ten months after then opposition members led by MLA and Incumbent Minister Vijay Sardesai grilled Laxmikant Parsekar-led government on the Floor of House over multi-crore scam in the state’s apex bank.

The registrar of the co-operative societies and the chairman of the bank were tagged as prime culprits in the entire scam, by the opponents.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 (Central Act 60 of 1952), the government of Goa, being of the opinion that it is necessary to do so, hereby appoints a Commission of Inquiry consisting of Avinash Lavande, retd. Justice for the purpose of making an inquiry into the various issues highlighted in the August House in respect of Goa State Co-operative Bank Ltd,” the order issued by Under Secretary (Home) Neetal Amonkar reads.

Sardesai had pointed out before House that in 1995, the consultant SN Bhobe had conducted an evaluation of a property in Bainguinim and had estimated price as Rs 8.19 crore. However, ten years down the line in 2016, the same property was auctioned by the bank to a meager amount of Rs 1.36 crore, he said.

The House had resolved to conduct a judicial inquiry into the functioning of the bank.

Team TNV