Team Herald
PANJIM: Cashing in on some of the unfulfilled promises and U-turns of the government, Congress on Saturday emphasised on cleansing Goa of casinos, prostitution and drugs in its vision document.
Striving to dethrone the BJP in the ensuing Assembly elections, the opposition party has vouched to create an education hub, improve the health sector and protect environment if voted to power. Its key election campaign would revolve around introducing ‘ethical tourism’ by cleansing casinos, drugs and prostitution to highlight the failure of the government to sanitize the State of illegalities and irregularities.
“The BJP’s promises of zero tolerance to corruption, drugs and prostitution have been a failure. We want ethical tourism and not drugs, prostitution and casinos in the name of promoting tourism in the State. At the same time, we will ensure protection of environment and ecology,” Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Luizinho Faleiro said on Saturday.
Faleiro, who is likely to contest from Navelim constituency, was speaking while unveiling the vision document for the 2017 Assembly elections. “Making Goa an education hub and creating cent per cent job opportunity are also on our top priority, so also, skill development is a major issue at present. We will strengthen the sector for the benefit of Goans,” he stated.
To enhance the education profile of the State, the party wants to bifurcate the Goa Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development into Goa Institute of Public Administration and Goa Institute of Rural Development. “Goa Institution of Public Administration must collaborate with Goa Institute of Management to offer post graduate courses in public policy and management. It must offer technical and non-technical courses,” he said, recalling the upgrading the education sector got during his tenure as Education minister.
Listing out the failures of the Laxmikant Parsekar government on various fronts, Faleiro claimed that the people now want a change in governance. “Goa’s economy, tourism and mining sectors are in the worst state of affairs. The upcoming election is an important one to bring a difference. The locals are looking at Congress party with a new hope,” he said, adding, “We want to make Goa a model administered State, rather a jewel in the crown of India.”
