Demands sacking of Fisheries Minister
MARGAO
South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes on Saturday has called for an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) to find out whether a senior official has invested black money into fishing boats with the help of a fish mafia.
The MP also underlined the need to investigate the cause behind the outbreak of cholera at the Cutbona fishing jetty which has claimed the lives of five migrant workers.
Viriato has further called upon the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to sack Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Harlarnkar and also action against ex-Fisheries Director Dr Shamila Monteiro for the alleged junket to Norway at the tax payers’ money.
The South Goa MP visited the Cutbona fishing jetty as well as interacted with residents of Mobor-Cavelossim in view of the cholera outbreak at the fishing landing centre at Mobor.
Asked for his comment on allegations that a senior official has invested back money into fishing vessels, the MP said the Goa government should hand over the investigations to the CBI to find out the truth in the allegations. There is a need to probe the benami wealth accumulated by officials and the investment, he added.
On the situation at Cutbona fishing jetty, Viriato underscored the need to set up a fact finding committee with a clear brief to find out what has happened at the jetty and the reasons behind the cholera outbreak. “There is a need to fix responsibility. When I went to Mobor-Cavelossim, people told me how the Fisheries Minister and the ex-Fisheries Director has been on a foreign junket. If the government has a moral courage, it should drop the Fisheries Minister and also act against the ex-Fisheries Director.
