PANAJI: Raising questions over the reluctance of the government in ordering a CBI injury into the alleged Rs 60 crore scam linked to the excise department, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday maintained that this stand of the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat raises serious doubts in the minds of the aam aadmi as to whether Mr Kamat himself is involved in the scam.

The state chief spokesperson of the BJP, Mr Rajendra Arlekar, addressing a press conference in the city said that the attitude of the Chief Minister, wherein he brushed off the demand of the opposition BJP to initiate a CBI inquiry in the matter, or even set up a House committee to probe the same, gives wrong signals to the public. "The BJP had even agreed to produce documentary evidence in this matter," he noted.

Speaking further, Mr Arlekar said that the decision of the Chief Minister to hand over the responsibility of conducting an inquiry into the matter to the Finance Secretary, Mr Udipta Ray would result
into nothing.

"How can the Finance Secretary conduct an investigation into a section of his own department, especially when there is a criminal angle attached to this matter," he questioned, pointing out that an independent investigative agency like the CBI can perform the task in a much better way.

Mr Arlekar stated that a House committee could also provide effective results by investigating the alleged scam.

"The people of Goa have a right to know about the passage of money involved in the excise scam," he added.

"Furthermore," Mr Arlekar said, "the working of the state health department has deteriorated drastically, with patients admitted to government hospitals forced to lose their lives for no fault of theirs." He also pointed out two recent cases, wherein a mother who had delivered twins in a government hospital lost her life due to the negligence on the part of the doctors, as also another lady admitted to the Azilo Hospital being forced to deliver a baby in the bathroom, and subsequently losing her life.

"This negligent attitude on the part of the doctors in the government hospitals comes from officials higher in the hierarchy," he said, observing that the Health Minister, Mr Vishwajeet Rane is on the tour of the country as well as other countries, most of the times, by spending large amounts from the government exchequer, while providing lack of medical facilities to the common man.

The BJP also demanded that the problems of the malaria workers in the directorate of health services, who are presently on a hunger strike, be
solved immediately.