TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Aam Admi Party stepped into the 2014 Lok Sabha electoral battle by declaring that the party would not seek any funding from mining firms. In fact the party assured people that it would put behind bars all those involved in the mining scam, including politicians and employees of mining firms.
AAP accused the Congress and BJP campaigns of being funded by mining companies, while AAP, co-founder Prashant Bhushan is fighting a legal battle against illegal mining in the Supreme Court.
Addressing media persons this evening, AAP candidates — Dr Dataram Desai (North Goa) and Swati Kerkar (South Goa) jointly announced that the party would not take any donation from the mining industry.
AAP declared that its manifesto’s first priority would be to recover Rs 35,000 crore loss incurred by the State exchequer due to illegal mining as indicated by Shah Commission and use that money for rehabilitation of mining dependent people.
Desai said that the justice for the people of Goa and for the mining affected victims can only come from AAP which has no links with the mining industry. AAP manifesto says mining should be taken over by the Goa Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC) so that the maximum value of the ore can go to the government. All money from mining will go to a special ‘Goan permanent fund’.
“Sales proceeds from the sale of illegally extracted ore which is now e-auctioned should be set aside to create a one time rehabilitation fund together with recovery of Rs 35,000 crore. It could be used to provide relief to mining dependent persons in the form of debt relief and compensation for losses suffered…. Rehabilitation of mining areas is also a major focus,” Desai said.
AAP member Dr Oscar Rebello said that BJP government fooled people on the mining issue as one can see that no arrests of the persons responsible for the mess were made despite two years of the party being in power. He said that the mining companies are also allowed to go scot-free.
Dr Rebello said that the NGOs like Goa Foundation and activists who fought to expose the illegalities in the mining industry are real heroes. All Goa Truck Owners Association (AGTOA) President Nilkant Gawas has backed AAP with his association members.
Earlier, Dr Dattaram Dessai and activist Swati Kerkar were finalised as Aam Admi Party (AAP) candidates for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, scheduled on April 12.
Dessai and Kerkar are social activists who have been involved in various agitations. While Dessai is a physician hailing from Savoi Verem and had ties with the BJP, Kerkar stays in Keri, Ponda.
Dessai, an active member of the Goa RTI Forum, first made news when he plunged into the anti-Nylon 6, 6 agitation. Kerkar has been quite vocal in anti-SEZ and Regional Plan agitations and is opposed to the Mopa airport.
Responding to allegations that Dessai had RSS links, he clarified that he was never associated with RSS. “I was a strong supporter of BJP in the past. Later I joined Anna Hazare movement and then AAP,” Desai told media persons.
AAP is a second political outfit to declare its candidates for the polls after ruling BJP. BJP has fielded sitting MP Sripad Naik from North and Adv Narendra Sawaikar from South.
Though, Congress have almost finalized their candidates-Ravi Naik (North), sitting MP Francisco Sardinha (South), it is yet to be formally announce their names, which was due to happen Wednesday.
AAP manifesto’s first priority would be to recover Rs 35,000 crore loss incurred by the State exchequer due to illegal mining
