Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar Wednesday accused former PWD minister Churchill Alemao of patronising a fake degree racket, recently busted by police, saying the illegalities eroded the sanctity of the department.
"Alemao, during his tenure as PWD minister, was directing various candidates to this academy (which operated the racket), giving fake certificates before recruiting them as engineers in PWD department", Parrikar said in his reply to a question on affairs of PWD Department in Legislative Assembly.
The crime branch recently exposed the racket after raiding a private academy in Margao.
According to police, the racketeers used to provide bogus educational certificates, purportedly of various recognised universities, including the Board of Secondary Education, Gwalior.
"The bogus certificates were bought from this academy by candidates who have now become engineers", Parrikar said, adding that the illegalities committed by Alemao has eroded the sanctity of PWD department.
Alemao, a senior Congress leader was PWD minister in Digambar Kamat-led government.
PTI
