Aldona MLA raises doubts over cash-for-jobs accused’s statement

Panaji: Aldona MLA Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira has questioned the recent media statements made by cash-for-jobs scam accused Pooja Naik, in which she named Power Minister Ramakrishna Sudin Dhavalikar, IAS officer Nikhil Desai, and PWD Chief Engineer Uttam Parsekar as being involved.

Ferreira said the timing of Naik’s statement suggested she was attempting to protect someone from implication.

“Pooja has suddenly woken up after a year. I have doubts after she has made a statement mentioning the period from 2019 to 2021. We all know that the cash-for-jobs scam was ongoing up to 2024 and then that bubble burst and it came out in the open after complaints were filed. What the statement means is that the government of that period was different and after that the government was different. It implies a clean chit to the government after 2019. I doubt she is trying to save someone and that someone has coached her and brought her forward to cover up a name,” Ferreira said.

He pointed out that Dhavalikar was dropped as minister in March 2019.

“I remember Sudin was dropped as minister because 2 MLAs joined BJP. It was ‘use and throw’ by the BJP. If Sudin was out of power then how is she taking his name? I don’t defend him but this is the fact. She is trying to say certain people are not involved. What if someone has planted her to save their names,” Ferreira said.

Ferreira further said it appeared Naik was attempting to defame Dhavalikar.

“We don’t know what politics is going on, whether BJP has planted her or Sudin’s rival has planted her. Only she can tell. If you check her call records you’ll come to know who has been in touch with her,” he added.

On Parsekar, Ferreira stated that he had raised the issue in the assembly.

“I had highlighted what he had done and I had demanded that he be sent home. He is the person who was there then and he is there till date. Some days ago, the cabinet took a decision to extend the tenure of government to 62 years, is this being done to benefit him?” Ferreira said.

He alleged that Parsekar had prevented other officers from rising to senior positions.

“Parsekar has subdued officers from rising and now they are not eligible to be principal chief engineer. There are other officers who were eligible and have retired. Why is the government granting extensions to such people,” he asked.

On Nikhil Desai, Ferreira said, “I don’t know what was Desai’s role in this PWD department and getting money. However, I want to ask why is the BJP not answering why they are not acting against their own party workers indulged in corruption. This is a diversion tactic. There is statement, timing, implication and exclusion. It appears to be a game. I feel that Naik has been prepared to come forward before the media. Or else why did she go to only one channel initially?”