Panaji,  Against the backdrop of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's statement that Goa Assembly records were destroyed while shifting from old secretariat to a new complex at Porvorim in 2000, Congress on Monday submitted a memorandum to Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar demanding a probe into the incident.

"When I became the speaker of Goa Assembly, I came to know that these records (from 1963 to 2000) were destroyed. I wanted to preserve them. But they were destroyed. I am sorry, this should not happen. Now since 2000, we are preserving and digitisation of the same is done," Sawant had recently said.

The representation signed by all eleven MLAs of the Congress has been handed over to the Speaker by Deputy CLP Leader Sankalp Amonkar, Working President Yuri Alemao and Quepem MLA Altone D'Costa.

"Chief Minister has stated that the records from 1963 to 2000 were destroyed during the shifting of Assembly. Subsequently, we have read some media reports in which first the Legislative Secretary and thereafter the Hon'ble Speaker have refuted the claim made by the Chief Minister. But the Chief Minister has not given any clarification on it," memorandum stated.

"In view of the above it is pertinent to do the fact finding on the exact intention of the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant who also held the position of the Speaker from 2017 to 2019. There are apprehensions in the minds of Citizens on the safety and security of the Assembly Proceeding Records which are of paramount importance for posterity. There is fear in the minds of the people that the Assembly Records may be destroyed in an attempt to twist the historical milestones of the State," it further said.

Congress has appealed to the Speaker to constitute a House Committee, giving equal representation to all the Members of Legislative Assembly, to investigate the real intention behind the statement of the Chief Minister.

"We also urge you to file a Complaint before the appropriate competent Authority to start an inquiry on the same," Congress stated in a memorandum.

Congress MLAs have said that they will raise the issue in the upcoming Assembly session.