PANAJI: The Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat on Thursday informed the House that the ongoing inquiry into the alleged multi-crore scam related to the excise department as carried out by the Finance Secretary, Mr Udipta Ray has collected various documents from the excise commissioner and are presently under scrutiny.
"The inquiry will go to the root cause of the alleged scam," he noted.
"In this matter, contacts have also been established with the excise commissioners of other states," the Chief Minister stated, adding that pending inquiry, no officials of the excise department have been
transferred.
"On completion of the inquiry, if required action in the matter will be taken," he pointed out.
The Chief Minister, however, inspite of repeated demand from the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Manohar Parrikar to order a CBI investigation into the alleged scam, and a proposition from the Speaker, Mr Pratapsingh Rane to constitute a House Committee for probing the issue, remained firm on his stand and maintained that the inquiry conducted by the Finance Secretary was going in the right direction.
The Speaker observed that the matter is serious, but he cannot force the government to order a CBI investigation.
Earlier, the Leader of the Opposition said that there are various incidents, which clearly prove the involvement of some of the officials of the excise department in the scam.
"For example, a fax as regards extension of permit was sent from the office of the excise commissioner, addressed to M/s Aqua Industries, Cuncolim industrial estate, when the particular industry has a unit in the Canacona industrial estate and not at Cuncolim," Mr Parrikar noted, adding that the fax was signed by the excise superintendent, Mr Navnath Naik, and further a reverse confirmation of this fax was send to one Uttam Agarwal, in Madhya Pradesh.
"It needs to be seen if a bogus permit has been issued by the excise department, in this case," he pointed out.
Stating that the scam has an interstate ramification, the Leader of the Opposition said that total amount of around Rs 50 crore to 60 crore is involved in the fraud.
"This requires criminal investigation and how can such inquiry be carried out by the Finance Secretary," he questioned, demanding that a CBI investigation or a House committee would be appropriate to handle the task.
Mr Parrikar also informed the House that large amount of liquor is being exported to North-Eastern states, but disappear along the way, with the involved money possibly moved towards funding of terror outfits, existing in the Border States.
"The excise department also needs to be overhauled and provided with a new team, and further headed by an IAS officer," he observed.
The Chief Minister informed the House that all assistant excise commissioners are new recruits, and were not in the service of the department when the frauds had allegedly taken place.
Finally, failing to receive any assurances from the Chief Minister as regards his demands, Mr Parrikar informed the House that he would soon write to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, informing him about the scam, along with relevant documents, and further lodge a complaint with the police.
