MARGAO: Former Chief Minister and senior politician Churchill Alemao while launching a diatribe against former Deputy Chief Minister and Goa Forward Party Supremo Vijai Sardesai said he did not need certificates “from people who were introduced to politics by me.”
Briefing media persons with some sarpanchas and members of the village panchayats from his constituency Churchill said he was supporting and praising CM Pramod Sawant because he has done works in his constituency.
“Politics is not my bread and butter but I am into politics for the development of the people and my constituency,” he said, while asserting that Sawant was mainly thinking of the poor and downtrodden because he hails from the back ward community.
Dismissing Vijai’s claim that there is no development in Benaulim constituency; Churchill distributed a list of works he has initiated, which included works completed costing Rs. 7.45 crore, works estimated at Rs. 13.56 crore underway and estimates of works amounting to Rs. 16.43 crore prepared and awaiting sanction.
Those accompanying him thanked him for the various works undertaken like the rail underpass in Seraulim, the widening of road at Khareband, the cleaning of the creek at Colva besides its beautification, cleaning and constructing the bandh at Orlim and others.
Churchill clarified that his football team received Rs. 1 crore from the government as per the available scheme that entitled teams playing the I- League get some funds and since Churchill Brothers is the only Goan team in the I-League, they got the money.
“CM has not given me or my club his personal money but it is money that we are entitled to as per the present scheme,” said Churchill, while appreciating Sawant for coming out with a scheme to aid and support the Goa Football Association.
“While GFA has Rs. 50 lakhs in fixed deposits, it has liabilities of Rs. 1 crore and when I presented him a budget of Rs. 5 crore for GFA, the CM has now come out with a scheme that will get GFA Rs. 2 crore,” he disclosed and pointed out that 184 clubs are registered under GFA.
While asserting that common sense and urge to do something for the people is of paramount importance in politics Churchill said Sawant has plenty of this, which is lacking in Vijai, who is now frustrated because he is out of power.
“Where was the concept of like-mindedness in March 2017 when Goa Forward could have come together to form a secular government in Goa,” he asked and said GFP has no future as it continues to feed formalin-laced fish to Goans and will have to pay for that wrong deed.
He further questioned Vijai’s stand on Dr Jack Sequeira especially as Vijai has now aligned with the Shiv Sena, the very party that Sequeira opposed at the time of Opinion Poll and because of whose valiant efforts, Goa today has 40 MLAs.
Dismissing Vijai’s charge of the government surviving on loans Churchill claimed that even former CM (late) Manohar Parrikar ran his government on loans. “With mining stopped and tourism crumbling where will the money come from,” he asked in defense of the CM taking loans.
