TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: National is also local seems to be the manta of the Congress South Goa campaign Law and order, safety of senior citizens, the plight of taxi operators and rising unemployment have been the corner stone issues of the Congress campaign thus far.
At a meeting organised by various taxi operators associations from Benaulim to Canacona, the taxi operators told Capt Viriato that when they had already pre-paid counters, then why are they being forced to install digital meters. “Every year they have to pay Rs 4,500 for servicing those digital meters. Moreover there are only two designated counters in the State for fitment of the meters and why not give freedom to the taxi operators to get the meters installed from somewhere else of their choice? It is a big scam. We have promised that we will take up their issue and try to see that they get relief,” Capt Viriato assured them.
At another meeting at Selaulim organised by the supporters of Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the senior citizens raised the issue of collapsing law and order. There is so much crime that people have a sense of fear. The youth said that they were educated by their parents but how will they arrange Rs 20 lakh for getting government jobs.
Capt Viriato promised them that he will be their voice. He told them that their problem has been acknowledged by the Prime Minister himself when he stated that Goa had the highest rate of unemployment. So Goa has become the unemployment capital of India. “We have become rape capital, murder capital. Somewhere people feel that a new candidate with no baggage may be a hope,” Capt Viritao said.
At Sanguem, mining dependent people came in large numbers, most of them were truck operators who had obtained loans and were fed up with the false promises. Now they are not ready to trust the government. Raw cashew nut price was Rs 160 per kg in 2018 and processed cashew was priced at Rs 650 per kg. Now after six years, the price of processed cashew is Rs 1,200 per kg but the unprocessed cashew was priced at Rs 211 per kg.
Capt Viriato told them that he will discuss their case and suspected a conspiracy between the government and real estate people. Same situation is with sugarcane farmers. The government should give Rs 15,000 per hectare, he said assuring them that he will take up their cases.
