PANJIM: Environment and Forests minister Alina Saldanha has faith in her government and is hopeful of meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the next ten days to demand for Special Status for Goa.
At a press conference held under the banner of Goa’s Movement for Special Status (GMSS) on Tuesday, Saldanha said: “I still have hope in my government. We are yet to meet the prime minister. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has assured us that he will take us to meet the Union home minister also.”
Saldanha also said that she had a dialogue with BJP national president Amit Shah during his recent visit to Goa last month. She claimed that the State government is firm on getting Special Status for Goa, but current Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar is not well versed with the issue of Special Status whereas the former chief minister was aware of all the facts.
“The statement of Parsekar (that Special Status is mirage) is his opinion. It is not what the government feels, we are still waiting for the resolution passed on the floor of the house to be adopted in parliament,” Saldanha said, refusing to condemn Parsekar’s statement.
“I am hopeful that the state and central governments will help to get Goa Special Status,” Saldanha said.
She said that the state legislative assembly on April 15, 2013 has unanimously adopted a resolution demanding Special Status for the state. “This resolution which was passed still stands and it needs to be passed in parliament,” Saldanha added.
The GMSS statement came days after Parsekar refused to entertain the demand for Special Status saying, “it is like chasing a mirage”. BJP president Amit Shah and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in the past had also spoken against the possibility of getting Special Status for Goa.
The state has been demanding Special Status to protect its identity, culture and also the land which is getting exhausted every passing day. “We are not only demanding economic Special Status but we want the Special Status which will preserve our identity, culture etc,” Saldanha said.
On the same dais president of GMSS Prajal Sakhardande condemned the statement made by the chief minister and alleged that BJP has fooled the people giving false assurances during the campaigns for the state assembly and parliamentary elections.
