Goa poll body contests Parrikar's 'exorbitant expenses' charge

Poll authorities in Goa on Friday contested Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's allegation of excessive expenses by the state election body during the recently concluded state assembly polls.

Responding to the charge, made earlier this month by Parrikar, Chief Electoral Officer Kunal said his office was open to scrutiny and all expenses were strictly in accordance with the Election Commission of India (EC) guidelines.

"We have followed all EC guidelines on expenditure. All our expenses are audited by the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General)... We are open to scrutiny," Kunal said when asked to respond to Parrikar's charge made on June 13.

Parrikar had then said that the Rs 16.86 crore expenses bill submitted by the poll authority was "seemingly exorbitant".

"I have asked that a team of CAs should be formed to audit the reimbursement claimed by the Electoral Office in Goa. They have submitted a bill of Rs 16.86 crore for hiring of vehicles for 15 days during the polls," Parrikar had said.

"I do not like to criticise constitutional authorities, but when they attain absolute power, they can become more corrupt than politicians," he had said.

During the run-up to the assembly polls earlier this year, Parrikar, then the Defence Minister, had been pulled up by the Election Commission for inducing voters to accept money from other political parties but vote for the BJP. Parrikar had contested the stricture.

--IANS

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