PANJIM: The Congress took a U-turn on the casino issue on Thursday. The party manifesto for the Panjim by-poll, released on Thursday, is silent on shifting casino vessels out of River Mandovi. The party had been promising to make this their main election plank.
GPCC President Luizinho Faleiro defended not including the casino issue in the manifesto and said it is not possible for an MLA sitting in the Opposition for the next two and a half years, to enact legislation to move the casino vessels out.
“We don’t want to promise something in writing which is difficult to implement. We will not write, but do it,” Surendra Furtado the party candidate in Panjim said, after journalists cornered Faleiro on the issue.
The party, however, announced they would carry out a silent candlelight march in the city on February 6, demanding the shifting of the casinos from the Mandovi. The march will be part of the Congress election campaign.
A few days earlier Congress, slamming the BJP government over its failure to deliver on the election promise, had assured that if its candidate wins in Panjim, it would shift the casino vessels out of River Mandovi and ensure that all the permissions granted to casino businesses are withdrawn through the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP).
The Congress party also failed to reply satisfactorily when asked whether the Party and its candidate would accept funding from casinos for running its campaign. “Please ask this question to the party that has accepted funding from casinos. We never did so,” Faleiro said.
The party manifesto for the Panjim by-poll was released on Thursday morning at Congress house in the presence of party’s All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Dr A Chellakumar, Faleiro, Leader of Opposition Pratapsing Rane, Furtado and other leaders.
The Congress has assured a master plan for the city, to resolve the issue of traffic and parking, and to commence the re-development and beautification of much neglected St Inez creek, within 180 days of its candidate being elected. Reconstruction of the Bandodkar stadium is another highlight of the manifesto.
Former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, former MLA Agnelo Fernandes and party spokesmen were present at the release of the manifesto.
Speaking on the manifesto, Faleiro said that this is a humble manifesto placed before the people, as the Congress party cannot put forth tall and fake promises like the BJP, which cannot be fulfilled. “Panjim city has been left an orphan by its former MLA. This is a criminal neglect on the part of BJP,” he alleged.
Furtado too said that Panjim city has been neglected for the past 20 years, despite electing the same MLA for the last five terms. “The city has become orphaned,” he said, accusing former Chief Minister and local MLA Manohar Parrikar of giving step-motherly treatment to CCP.
