MARGAO: Taking a dig at Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, Fatorda Congress, at their first general body meeting, said just tarring roads is not development and demanded for ‘real’ development.
Around 200 members and locals attended the meeting at the Silver Spring Hall, Fatorda, on Sunday.
The meeting was hosted by the Fatorda Block President, Joseph Silva, and was addressed by former CM and MP Francisco Sardinha, AICC Secretary Girish Chodankar, GPCC Spokesperson Pratima Coutinho, GPCC Secretary Irfan Mulla, Fatorda block Vice President Piedade Noronha and Ethel Lobo.
Debunking claims by rivals who allege that Fatorda Block is the B-Team of the BJP, Girish Chodankar stated that the Congress Party “will never compromise with BJP because their ideology is to divide and suppress the people.”
“We have to set the goal to achieve absolute majority for Congress in the next Assembly election,” Chodankar said, adding that Fatorda “needs much more in terms of infrastructure and that development is not just tarring roads.”
Piedade Noronha also criticised the current BJP Government stating that they are only looking for their commission because of which they are pushing projects like DefExpo against the wishes of the people. “They are giving is our own tax money as schemes by increasing taxes and making it look like BJP Party is giving us this money,” Noronha said.
Highlighting the grievances of the locals, she said, “Although the SGPDA market falls in Fatorda, the women of Fatorda, who want to sell vegetables there, are kept away.”
Sardinha, in his message to the members, stated that real development that happened in Goa was initiated by the Congress Party. “Congress constructed the District Collectorate and had started the construction of the District Hospital in South Goa. But instead of completing the district hospital and constructing the much needed Zuari Bridge, BJP is focused on a third Mandovi bridge, which is not an urgent requirement.” Criticising the finance policy of the State BJP government, he said that this government only brought in price rise, nothing else.
