Daman and Diu’s Lok Sabha MP, Umeshbhai Babubhai Patel, has approached the Supreme Court seeking a Special Investigating Team (SIT) probe into alleged financial irregularities in the handling of funds for the Union Territory’s Secretariat building project.
In his petition filed on Thursday, Patel urged the apex court not only to constitute an SIT but also to monitor its investigation. He also sought a direction to the Centre to register an FIR into the matter, alleging misuse of public money by officials of the UT administration.
Tendering Process Under Question
The plea detailed a series of tenders issued over 3 years for the renovation and restoration of the Secretariat at Moti Daman, which it claimed led to unnecessary financial losses.
In October 2020, a tender worth ₹23.34 crore was floated for the renovation of the Secretariat building.
In September 2022, another tender was issued for demolishing the front portion of the same building at a cost of around ₹3.80 lakh.
In 2023, a third tender was floated for restoration and renovation, with an estimated expenditure of ₹12.58 crore.
According to Patel, these back-to-back tenders eventually led to the Secretariat being restored to its original condition after the first renovation, causing a loss to the public exchequer without adding any real value to the infrastructure.
Complaint Before Lokpal Of India
Patel had earlier filed a complaint before the Lokpal of India, naming Praful Khoda Patel (Administrator of the UT), Gaurav Singh Rajawat (Finance Secretary), and Saurabh Mishra (Collector, Daman) as responsible for the alleged irregularities.
The Lokpal directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a preliminary inquiry. After reviewing the report, the Lokpal on August 21, 2025, dropped further action against the officials but acknowledged that the tendering process had indeed resulted in financial loss to the government.
Call For Independent Probe
The petition argued that despite the Lokpal’s findings, the financial implications of the repeated tendering required an independent and transparent investigation.
“In this circumstance, the Government of India needs to make an immediate independent transparent investigation into the financial loss suffered by the public exchequer in the process of renovation, demolition, and restoration of the Secretariat Building at Moti Daman,” the plea stated.
The petition further argued that the actions of the officials violated the principles of public accountability and good governance, stressing that the alleged misuse of funds directly undermines citizens’ interests.
Respondents In The Case
The plea has made the Central Government, the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, the Secretariat at Moti Daman, and the CBI parties to the case.
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