TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Nationalist Congress Party on Tuesday demanded the sacking of Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar for “shielding drug lords” and bringing the “dignity of the chair of a minister of a state to the level of the road”.
Addressing a press conference, NCP president Nilkanth Halarnkar and spokesperson Trajano D’Mello hit at the chief minister for remaining silent on his errant ministers.
“If the chief minister has any regard for Goa and Goans he should sack him immediately. He is staying in power at the cost of the State,” Halarnkar said referring to comments made by the chief minister in private that since he has a government to run, he cannot take action against these ministers.
“He is more interested in saving his chair than stopping drugs in the State,” Halarnkar said referring to the chief minister’s inaction till date.
“It is now clear how the drug lords and underworld and dons are protected by Cabinet ministers in Goa,” Party spokesperson Trajano D’Mello said reiterating his demand that there be a judicial inquiry not just into the murder of the Nigerian but more so into who are the ministers involved in the politician drug-peddler nexus case.
Brandishing a photo which shows Parulekar talking with alleged history sheeter Pravin Dabholkar and Percept Managing Director Harinder Singh, a day ahead of the meeting of the Single Window Committee he said, “The dignity of the state government is being brought down to strike deals on the streets of Goa,” he said adding: “This is a disgrace.”
The NCP also raised the issue of the arbitrary raising of 20% FAR for certain hotels. “If everything is going to be piecemeal, what is the use of having a regional plan. The chief minister has scrapped the Regional Plan for good,” he said.
“He had promised to scrap the regional plan and he has actually done it,” the NCP said adding that the silence of the environment ministry of the state is shocking at this brazen sellout to the hotel lobby which would effectively mean 60% more built up area along Goa’s already concretized coast.
