SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024
Team Herald
MARGAO: Congress pitched for a green Goa, as All India Congress Committee (AICC) leader and MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday reiterated that the party, if voted to power, will scrap the three linear projects and not allow Goa to become a coal import hub.
Speaking to the media in Goa, Gandhi assured that mining activity would be restarted in a sustainable, manageable and legal way and to create jobs to eradicate unemployment in the State. “The Congress energy will be a catalyst to generate employment and protect the environment of Goa,” he said.
Stating that tourism is the mainstay of Goa’s economy, he said, “The situation of the tourism sector in Goa is worse. We need to focus on it and rejuvenate this area for the economy and create jobs too,” he said.
Replying to a question, Gandhi said that they have studied the matter of mining resumption and it will be restarted in a sustainable and legal manner once the Congress forms the government.
Stating that unemployment is the most critical issue in the State, Gandhi said that the BJP government has failed to resolve the issue. “Hence we have decided to take this issue on priority and resolve it. We have proposed Rs 500 crore fund for employment generation.”
Gandhi said that the Congress proposes to spend its energy in making Goa an IT and Knowledge Hub so as to provide jobs to Goan youth in IT industries.
Gandhi said that Congress has respected the sentiments of people of Goa and hence did not give tickets to defectors. “We have given the opportunity to new faces for this Assembly election. Denying tickets to defectors is a 100 per cent right decision. We are confident of getting a majority and forming a government immediately. We will not require anybody’s support,” he said when asked whether Congress will seek support of other like-minded parties if it is unable to secure a simple majority in the elections.
The Congress leader alleged that post the 2017 polls, the BJP robbed the mandate of the people of Goa and formed the government but did no development during the last five years in Goa.
Replying to a question, Gandhi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is raking up the issue of former Prime Minister late Jawaharlal Nehru having delayed the liberation of Goa, only to distract the people of Goa. “He (Modi) is trying to divert the issues and take people of Goa away from issues like the destruction of the environment, coal hub, three linear projects and others,” he said.
“Why he (Modi) is not speaking about his promise of creating two crore jobs annually and depositing Rs 15 lakh in accounts of every citizen by bringing back black money?” he questioned.
Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat, GPCC president Girish Chodankar, former Union Minister and election strategist P Chidambaram, AICC general secretary (organization) K C Venugopal, AICC Goa in-charge Dinesh Rao, AICC spokesperson Alka Lamba, MP Francisco Sardinha and others were present for the briefing.
