TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Opposition leader Pratapsingh Rane castigated the ruling BJP-led coalition for its failure to keep their 2012 assembly election promises and for its several U-turns on various issues, during a public meeting, which was touted as a ‘show of strength’ ahead of the Panaji by-elections which are slated for February 13.
Speaking at gathering of over 1000 party workers at Azad Maidan, Friday, Rane questioned the government’s credibility, as he reeled off a list of unfulfilled promises such as shifting of casinos from River Mandovi, finalizing the Regional Plan and appointing Lokayukta among many other promises.
“This is the third year of their (BJP) rule. Now what will they do in the remaining two years? They have talked enough but nothing has been done, and neither is there any sign of good governance,” Rane opined, while appealing to the people to vote for Congress candidate Surendra Furtado at the by-poll.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Luizinho Faleiro pointed to the people’s garbage woes, polluted creeks, increase in crimes, as examples of bad governance. He alleged that hundreds of crores of rupees which were sanctioned under central schemes for the development of Panjim and Rs 100 crore for setting up the waste management plant at Bainguinim have not been utilised, showing criminal negligence on the part of the state government. “BJP has put Goa to shame,” Faleiro alleged.
The party leaders also chided the BJP government by reminding it of the promise of 50,000 jobs for locals, saying the government should give at least five jobs.
Besides AICC Secretary Dr A Chellakumar, former chief ministers Digambar Kamat, Ravi Naik, MLAs Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, Pandurang Madkaikar, ex-MLA Agnelo Fernandes and several other party leaders showed their support following which they led a candlelit procession through the city.
Naik and Lourenco went to the extent of alleging that the government has not just been harassing the people, but also fooled them with the intent of coming to power.
Rane when asked about the party’s soft opposition to the Zilla Panchayat elections on party lines said, “We won’t keep quiet but that doesn’t mean we should speak nonsense.”
