Goa Lokayukta Justice P.K. Mishra has recommended a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into an alleged cartel of businessmen who might have rigged the tender in the procurement of nearly 50,000 tablet-PCs for distribution to school students in 2013, under the State’s flagship Cyberage Student Scheme.
The Lokayukta submitted a report to Goa Governor Mridula Sinha and a copy to the State government. The main thrust of the report was a recommendation for further inquiries into the bidding process to ascertain if an alleged cartel had been formed during 2013-14, or the previous or subsequent years.
The Lokayukta was looking into a complaint by a local activist Dr. Aashish Kamat, who alleged that the State exchequer had been defrauded by a cartel of businessmen who manipulated the tender issued by the State-owned Information Technology Corporation. The complaint also estimated a scam of ₹12.64 crore in the purchase of the tablet-PCs and a violation of Central Vigilance Commission guidelines.
The Lokayukta, in his report, questioned the reluctance of the Anti-Corruption Branch of State Vigilance to probe the matter due to the “fear of old skeletons” falling out of cupboards. The body had dragged its feet over probing the possibility of a cartel for nearly two years.
The report also termed the then Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma’s attitude as “lackadaisical”. The Lokayukta observed there was a proper compliance report wherever the Chief Minister was the competent authority but no satisfactory one has been received from any other authority, including the Chief Secretary.
The Lokayukta also noted that with three constables at his disposal, he was unable to conduct any investigation of complaints.
In 2013, the then Manohar Parrikar-led government allotted 47,000 free tablets to students from Class V and VI. The scheme was withdrawn in 2015 by the subsequent BJP-led government led by Laxmikant Parsekar.