PANJIM: The Congress on Sunday accused the State government of trying to meticulously harass the middle class citizens in the State to the benefit few creamy ones in the tourism industry through its controversial statements.
The Congress party was reacting to statements by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai that the State should discourage low-budget domestic tourists and focus on attracting high-end tourists.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary Girish Chodankar said that such statements of Parrikar and Vijai were derogatory to common people.
“The string of statements by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and his ally Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai, clearly exposes ‘Bhatkar’ (landlord) mentality of the State government and ‘Neo rich elites’,” said All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary Girish Chodankar.
He said, “The Bhatkar mentality of this government and ‘Neo rich elites’ are working overtime to deprive earnings of poor people who are depending on domestic tourists specially middle and lower middle class who will use taxi, hire a bike or a car, eat at small time restaurants or shacks and stay in budget hotels.”
Chodankar further said that BJP-GFP government is anti-poor and cannot digest the prosperity of the middle and lower middle class, hence, Parrikar meticulously winded up mining from the State as he realized that the people from lower strata of economic were getting little richer.
“First, it was those who were dependent on mining industry, who faced disaster from this government and now State government is planning similar fate for the people from the tourism sector who eke out their living from the low-end tourists,” Chodankar said.
Chodankar lamented that after failing to generate employment opportunities for the youth, government “is trying snatch away the existing avenues of earning for the Goans.”
Meanwhile, on another statement of Parrikar on girls drinking beer Chodankar said, “I do not wish to comment on the utter foolish statement on girls drinking beer as the IITian should know that any effects of alcohol are gender neutral and no law can ban only girls drinking beer.”
