Panaji, Sept 23: Congress today rubbished speculations of change in leadership in Goa in the backdrop of the inquiry of illegal mining in the state, in which names of a few party leaders have surfaced.
“There are no talks of leadership change. Digambar Kamat will continue (as Goa Chief Minister),” Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Subhash Shirodkar told reporters here.
Speculations about a possible leadership change in Goa grew after Kamat and Shirodkar were summoned to Delhi by Congress high command earlier this week.
Shirodkar said the Delhi trip was in connection with preparations for the forthcoming state legislative assembly election.
Talking to PTI, Kamat blamed the media for the rumours.
“Local media has been writing about leadership change although I had clarified to them that I had gone for a different meeting in Delhi,” the Chief Minister said.
The Justice M B Shah Commission has begun inquiry into the multi-crore illegal mining trade in the state, which is estimated to be somewhere between Rs 1,200 crore to Rs 10,000 crore by different agencies.
During the initial investigation by the Commission, names of a few Congress politicians, including Goa Urban Development Minister Joaquim Alemao and Dinar Tarcar, had surfaced.
Role of the state government, which failed to control illegal iron ore trade, has also been questioned by the Shah Commission. PTI
