Panaji: Goa`s deputy speaker and former power
minister Mauvin Godinho on Wednesday said there was no need for CBI
inquiry against him in the power rebate issue, as demanded by
Opposition BJP.
"There is no need for CBI inquiry as I was given a clean
chit in the same issue years back," he said.
Former Power minister is in the news after the Supreme
Court, this week upheld Goa bench of Bombay High Court`s
decision nullifying legality of a notification which gave
power rebate to various industries. The notification was
issued by Godinho in 1996 when he was the power minister.
BJP leader Manohar Parrikar has demanded CBI inquiry into
the alleged fraud committed by Godinho by notifying power
rebate, which would have cost the state for Rs 50 crore.
It was a technical fault to issue such a notification
without consulting the state cabinet, Godinho told reporters
here.
"The decision was taken when I was power minister. How
can a criminal case be filed against such a decision," he
questioned.
The former power minister said it was responsibility of
then IAS officers to guide him properly when he decided to
issue notification without taking cabinet into confidence.
He said he had just modified the earlier power rebate
scheme and later withdrew it when he realised his fault.
Godinho claimed that the subsidy to the tune of Rs 13
crore was released to various industries under this scheme.
The senior Congressman pointed out that the second last
paragraph in the Supreme Court order exonerates him from the
case.
"Before parting with these appeals, we make it clear that
the observations made by us in the course of our judgement is
only for the purpose of disposing of these appeals and shall
not be treated as an expression on the conduct of the then
Power Minister," the court has ruled.
Godinho said that SC judges were fully aware that the
judgement might be used to initiate criminal proceedings
against him and hence he has been exonerated through this
order.
PTI
