By IANS,
Panaji : Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat Friday said the government would reconsider the decision to award a contract for installing high security number plates (HSNP) to a firm, which has a director who is a co-accused in a murder case along with gangster Babloo Srivastava.
Kamat’s assurance followed accusations by Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar in a calling attention motion in the assembly, alleging a scam in the awarding of contract to Shimnit Utsch India Pvt Ltd, an Indo-German joint venture, even after the state transport department had disqualified the firm’s bid in 2006.
“The company’s director Nitin Shah has been convicted along with Babloo Srivastava. The case is still pending in Supreme Court. Can you imagine this? The HSNP contract has been given to the same person who has been booked previously under Section 302 of the IPC along with don Babloo Srivastava?” Parrikar said.
He said since the promoters of the firm had a criminal background, the company was automatically ineligible for selection.
In a written reply, Transport Minister Sudin Dhavalikar said: “At the time of submission of the tender, Rushang Shah, son of Nitin Shah had already substituted his father as director in Shimnit Ustch India Pvt Ltd. However, this fact was not disclosed at the time of submission of the bid.”
“Therefore, it is not correct to state that any of the firm’s directors had any criminal background at the time when the bid was submitted,” Dhavalikar said.