Lokayukta to probe sensitive cases after appointment: Parrikar

Panaji, April 30 (IANS) Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar Monday said sensitive cases involving politicians and mining mafia would be handed over to the lokayukta once the ombudsman is appointed in the state.

He said the Goa lokayukta legislation was pending before the union home ministry and was likely to be cleared soon.

"All the (sensitive) cases will be handed over to the Lokayukta when it is established. It will happen soon," Parrikar said when asked about action being contemplated by him against several ministers in the previous Congress-led government, who the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had accused of being involved in illegal mining.

In its election campaign leading up to the March 2012 assembly polls, the BJP had accused then chief minister Digambar Kamat and some of his cabinet colleagues of being involved in a Rs.25,000 crore illegal mining scam.

When asked why the BJP-led government was hesitant to act against the accused Congressmen, Parrikar shot back saying such action could be perceived as "witch hunting".

Earlier, the chief minister said he had already apprised Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram about the need for establishing the institution of lokayukta. The Goa lokayukta bill is presently pending with the home ministry which is vetting the document.

"The file is presently on the home minister's table. We are following the progress on the Lokayikta file twice everyday," Parrikar said.

Setting up lokayukta within 100 days of coming to power was one of the poll promises made by the Goa BJP before the recent polls, in which the party won a simple majority of 21 seats in the 40-member house.