Panaji: The Goa State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC) on Wednesday directed the Goa Chief Secretary to conduct a thorough inquiry into the complaint over ₹51 lakh food scam during the 2016 BRICS summit held here.
The Chief Secretary has been asked to fix responsibility and accountability on the erring officials and submit a detailed report within 45 days.
The Chief Secretary and Director General of Police in July this year had moved the Bombay High Court at Goa seeking quashing of the proceedings before the GSHRC.
The High Court on August 21, while declining to quash the proceedings, had asked the GSHRC to specify whether it recommends an inquiry or an investigation into the food scam and to also specify the parameters of the probe.
The GSHRC accordingly, by its order on Wednesday, while directing an inquiry has outlined 28 points to be examined by the Chief Secretary while conducting the inquiry.
Advocate Aires Rodrigues, in his complaint to the GSHRC on October 14 last year submitted that the contract for a whopping ₹51,60,000 was given to a local caterer for supply of food to police personnel posted on duty during the BRICS summit held in South Goa, but that the food was prepared in an open place owned by the police department next to the Verna Church Cemetery in South Goa, in most unhygienic condition.
The complaint also alleged that the police authorities had failed to make any proper arrangements including food, water and toilet facilities for those on duty and as such neglected to cater to the basic fundamental and human rights of its own police personnel.
The GSHRC by an order on October 8 last year directed that no payments should be released to the caterer pending inquiry into the entire episode.
