TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Though the Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto for the forthcoming Panjim by-poll promises to convert the capital Panjim into a smart city, it has one thing in common with the Congress manifesto – it is silent on shifting out offshore casinos from River Mandovi.
The two-page manifesto was released by the party’s State President Vinay Tendulkar in the presence of candidate Siddharth Kuncalienker.
The BJP manifesto emphasizes on transportation, traffic management, parking, upgrading sports and tourism infrastructure, environment, improving quality of life, upgrading public utilities, disaster management, heritage and art and culture, public utilities and other infrastructure.
Asked about the party’s silence on casinos in the manifesto, Kuncalienker said the Cabinet has already taken a decision on the matter. The Cabinet under the then chief minister and present Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had taken a decision to shift the existing offshore casino vessels out of River Mandovi and not to allow new casinos.
Interestingly, the Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar linked the existence of casinos to facilitating new environment-friendly investments in Goa. He was quick to accuse the Opposition of double standards as the Congress had introduced offshore vessels to Goa and is now demanding ban on casinos.
Meanwhile, the BJP candidate Kuncalienker further said that several promises made in BJP’s 2012 Goa assembly election manifesto, which are unfulfilled will be fulfilled in the remaining tenure till 2017. “We have been able to complete 30 to 40 per cent of the promises. The current manifesto is a continuation of the earlier document,” he added.
The manifesto has also assured to solve the city’s flooding problems, coordinating with CCP corporators ensuring regular collection of garbage, setting up of police outpost at KTC terminus, introducing intra-city hop-on and hop-off bus service, circuit route in and around the city, shifting of schools and government offices outside Panjim, and other promises.
BJP has also opened a new bank account and requested people to deposit a minimum cash amount of Rs 10 or cheque, which the party says it will use for public services.
