Manohar Parrikar seeks to scotch rumours around his email approvals

In his first media interaction after his return from USA last Thursday, the Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar attempted to scotch the rumours around his email approvals.

Even before beginning to brief about the decisions of State cabinet, Parrikar suo moto raised the issue of his absence from the state and clarified that he was himself clearing the emails.

The main opposition Congress in Goa had filed a complaint with the Crime Branch last month claiming that “it was not Parrikar but someone else that was clearing his emails giving approvals to various proposals from Goa.”

Parrikar told reporters that during these three months of his absence from the state, he was in touch with the state administration on regularly and had participated in all the decisions.

“I was absolutely in touch with the state for all decision making purpose. Every decision was referred to me through email and I used to approve it personally from USA,” he said.

To enforce his point that he was in touch with Goa affairs, Parrikar said that he was in touch with the state administration on mining issue.

“Though I was in touch with the State and knowing everything that was happening during my absence, I am taking stock of the situation again now so that the issue can be solved,” the chief minister said.

“It is a complicated issue which has arisen out of the judgment of the Supreme Court, so remedy has to be carefully thought of,” he added.

The mining industry in Goa has come to standstill from March 16, 2018 onwards after Supreme Court quashed 88 mining leases in the State.