Goa Opposition MLA Vijai Sardesai Accuses Pramod Sawant Govt Of Effecting Rs 182-Crore Broadband Scam

Monsoon session of Goa assembly heats up, opposition accuses IT minister Khaunte and CM Pramod Sawant of alleged Rs 182 crore broadband scam.

The Monsoon session of the Goa assembly heated up as Opposition leader and Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai levelled serious allegations against Goa IT Minister Rohan Khaunte and indirectly targeted Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in a broadband scam. During the assembly session, GFP leader Vijai Sardesai accused the Department of Information Technology of a Rs 182 crore scam related to the contract's extension.

The former Deputy CM of Goa pointed out that after 10 years of inconsistent service quality, the GBBN contract with UTL expired in July 2019. Rather than seeking a new vendor, the contract was extended by a year. Sardesai alleged that Khaunte, who was the IT Minister at the time and still holds the position, noted in his files the necessity of obtaining the council of ministers' approval. However, this process was bypassed.

Vijai Sardesai has demanded a judicial inquiry into the alleged scam, threatening to approach the judiciary if the government fails to act. Vijai Sardesai pointed out that despite recommendations from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to replace the service provider and warnings from the Finance Department about technical deviations and high fees, the government extended the contract until July 2027, ignoring these significant concerns. Sardesai, the lone Goa Forward Party MLA, questioned why, despite the Finance Department's warning about technical non-compliance, the contract was extended by Rs 182 crore.

IT Minister Rohan Khaunte replied in the assembly that GBBN provides critical intranet and internet services for all e-governance projects in Goa. "The next three years, during which the extension has been granted, will be used by the government to set up a comprehensive network to connect Goa using central funds.

Sardesai has been leading a continuous attack on the Goa government over various issues. Earlier, the Fatorda MLA accused Pramod Sawant of being inactive in resolving the alleged land-grabbing issue in Goa. He said that CM Pramod Sawant was dragging his feet on the matter, which had resulted in the registration of just 22 FIRs out of 93 alleged land-grabbing incidents. 

Sardesai also accused Sawant of formulating policies pertaining to the Mopa airport that led to a loss of over Rs 207 crore to the Goa government.