ECI to decide on payment of Rs 9.24 cr to Subhash’s firm

PANAJI: The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has referred to the Election Commission of India (ECI) the matter pertaining to the payment of second instalment of Rs 9.24 crore to Vedanta Real Estate Developers.

Bharatiya Janata Party candidate for Shiroda bypoll Subhash Shirodkar is one of the directors of Vedanta Real Estate Developers to whom the government owes the Rs 9.24 crore.

“We cannot take a decision at the CEO level, as the amount is huge. Hence, we have referred the matter and forwarded the letter of the Secretary Revenue to the ECI and are currently awaiting their response,” said a senior officer of the CEO.

Secretary Revenue Nila Mohanan had on March 27 written to the CEO after receiving a proposal from the South Goa Collector on whether the model code of conduct is applicable for making the payment of the second installment of Rs 9,24,13,307.50 to Vedanta Real Estate Developers represented through its four directors namely Umesh Shirodkar, Satyesh Shirodkar, Amit Shirodkar and Subhash Shirodkar.

The said matter was placed before the screening committee wherein a decision was taken to refer the matter to the CEO.

The officer said that the role of the CEO office will now be just to communicate the reply of the ECI to Secretary Revenue irrespective of whether permission for the same is granted or rejected by the poll panel.