TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Taking a dig at Congress Member of Parliaments (MPs), BJP on Tuesday accused MP Shantaram Naik of trying to block funds to be allotted to the State from the central coffers for various developmental works.
Addressing a press conference, BJP spokesman Dr Wilfred Mesquita said that Naik thinks that being a member of Raja Sabha, he is not an elected representative of the people and therefore has no responsibility towards them.
Mesquita was reacting to the recent statement issued by Naik, wherein he had asked the Centre not to allot Rs 400 crore for tourism projects in Goa claiming that the funds were being diverted for other purposes by BJP-led state government. He had said that Goa MPs will ensure that no funds are released by the Central government for boosting tourism in the State.
“The statement by Naik is an offence against the people of Goa,” the BJP leader said. Mesquita said that the central government, after allotting the funds for specific purposes, always monitors the implementation of the work.
“Funds allotted by the Union government are released in installments for a particular project and are monitored at every stage up to completion of works. Therefore there is no scope to misdirect central funds as alleged by the MP,” Mesquita said.
“Naik is probably being haunted by the ghosts of UPA corruption in Delhi and the former Congress government in Goa,” Mesquita quipped alleging that former Congress regime had siphoned off or diverted Rs 80 crore allotted to Goa to construct infrastructure for Lusofonia Games.
The BJP spokesman also accused Congress led UPA government of giving step motherly treatment to non-Congress governments in the country because of the direct interference of the UPA members of Parliament in order to block state projects and schemes, Mesquita alleged.
Shantaram recommendation to Central government not to allot Rs 400 crore for tourism projects in Goa is an offence against the people of Goa… probably he being haunted by the ghosts of UPA corruption, said Mesquita
