Team Herald
PORVORIM: Opposition MLAs continued to lash out at various ministers of the State government and pointed out that their departments had failed to achieve what they had promised to do in the previous assembly sessions. The MLAs listed out various problems their constituents had faced with regard to the irregular supply of power and water as well as issues created by the delays in completing sewerage related works. They also recalled deadlines by Ministers in the last few years about when projects would be completed and how years later, these projects are still delayed.
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Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai also expressed concerns about potential scams and gave the example about land allegedly being given at a cheap price in a prime area like Dona Paula for the construction of a convention centre, when similar centres are being proposed in Panjim, Mandrem etc.
Vijai also demanded an inquiry into a complaint sent by the former Education Director to the Vigilance Department regarding controversial education institutes and corresponding issues from job recruitment to fake certificates being issued from dubious Universities based outside Goa.
Marcaim MLA Sudin Dhavalikar alleged that the proposed cage fishing project, for which grants are to be received from the Centre and jetties are being built, will lead to a situation when local fishermen will lose their business to non-Goans and that Goans would find it difficult to buy fish. Dhavalikar also praised former minister (late) Matanhy Saldanha for helping the fishing community, which is not getting adequate support from the government now.
Ponda MLA Ravi Naik hit out at the behaviour of ministers in the Assembly when it came to giving replies to questions MLAs were asking and alleged that there were certain projects where the estimated costs had been suspiciously inflated to extremely high figures.
Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte slammed the government for failing to take measures to ensure that the State receives the revenue it’s due from the Mopa airport project and said this comes at a time when the State is struggling financially.
He also said the picture being painted by the Power Minister on solar energy is not as rosy as being projected as it is still not economical for a single house to install a solar roof top due to the high charges involved.
Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco criticised the government for playing with the livelihoods of temporary workers and for failing to regularise such workers even though some of them have worked for nearly a decade.
He further gave examples of how the ‘common man’ is suffering with various allegedly erroneous bills from the government.
A broad consensus amongst most of the speakers is that they were not given proper replies by officials of government departments and given the consecutive curtailed assembly sessions, they felt the government was trying to get away with their shoddy work instead of providing the facts in the ongoing Assembly sessions.
