Pre-audits to be conducted on foreign tours in future: Goa CM

Porvorim: Chief minister Manohar Parrikar said that pre-audits would be conducted to avoid unwanted expenditure on foreign tours in future, after Independent MLA from Fatorda Vijai Sardesai came down heavily on the tourism minister Dilip Parulekar accusing the government for indulging in wasteful expenditure of public money on foreign junkets.
The house also witnessed a wordy duel between Parrikar and Sardesai after the latter alleged that he has information that everything (tours) have been fixed for the next six months and would share it with the chief minister, if required.
There was much heat again when Parrikar said that Sardesai’s statement reveals “the level of his settings.” To this, Sardesai asked whether he was doing the same when he was the opposition leader in the past.
Talking on accountability, Parrikar said that the government would have audit of all foreign tours that happened between 2007 and 2014, and that “he (Sardesai) should not get scared.” Retorting, Sardesai said he was not at all scared and that he was free to go ahead and investigate whatever he wished to, adding that the chief minister should not talk that language to cow down first time legislators who have the courage to expose corruption.
“I assure the House that I would not approve any foreign tour at government’s expense unless accountability parameters are framed,” he said adding “Accountability parameters will be fixed and I will ensure that pre-audit will be conducted either through a retired auditor or accounts department”
The ‘junket issue’ brought much embarrassment to the Parrikar government at the national level, after TOI first broke the story about the six Goa legislators, including three ministers’, going for the football World Cup in Brazil at the cost of the exchequer, in June.
Parrikar though initially defended the state-funded tour of the six legislators that would have cost the state exchequer 89 lakh, his government cancelled the tour after the public outcry.
The government came under criticism yet again, in the same month, after Parulekar spoke about tourism department’s proposed a 8-9 day tour of Europe to promote the upcoming exposition of the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier scheduled to begin from November 22. Parrikar declared immediately, after there will be no foreign tours until the policy was drafted.