Margao: The Congress Party held a public meeting at Lohia Maidan in Margao as a finale to the pan Goa Jan Akrosh campaign. The Chief Guest for the event was former Union Minister Janardhan Reddy. The President of the State Congress Committee Girish Chodankar, AICC in-charge Dr Chellakumar, MLAs Chandrakant Kavlekar, Ravi Naik, Philip Nery Rodrigues, Nilkant Haldankar, Wilfred D’Sa and Cleofas Dias and other State committee leaders were present on the dais.
The host of the evening, MLA Digambar Kamat, went on the offensive against the government. He started off his speech by criticizing the ruling MLAs for taking the mining dependents to Delhi and making them sit in Ram Leela Maidan for three days. He said the central government reply to a parliamentary question states the central mines department is studying the proposal by Goa government to amend the MMDR Act. He said the BJP MLAs are fooling the mining affected people. “How much time is left for the central government to bring amendments?”, he questioned.
In a possible rebuttal to Fatorda MLAs jibe of a neglected Margao, Kamat said “Some are asking what Congress has done. Look at South Goa Collectorate.” He continued his attack on the tussle for power between the alliance party leaders Sudin Dhavlikar and Vijai Sardesai stating that “One minister is saying I’m senior most give me the charge. Then another minister is saying, give him the charge but I am leaving”. He also highlighted the plight of the people of south goa who are treated in Hospicio. How long is the South Goa hospital going to take to complete, he asked.
Jaipal Reddy, the former Union Minister, too did not hold back in his attack against the government, especially the Chief Minister. “I would have condemned the government but there is no govt for me to condemn.”, he said. He called the government illegal and unconstitutional and said that it should be dismissed. “Why should people of Goa put up with this govt. When the CM is ill it’s his moral responsibility to say I can’t work as a CM and resign. What morality is left for Manohar Parrikar to stick to the chair like a leach”, he said.
He also took a dig at the Governor Mridula Sinha by calling her “ajeeb” (strange). “She’s RSS so she doesn’t see and hear what the government is doing”, he said.
Congress president Girish Chodankar said that the government has become blind, deaf dumb. Accusing some ministers of being involved in forging the CM’s signatures. “When the ministers don’t get files passed ministers, they say the administration is at standstill but once they get their work done, they say the CM is well.”, he said.
He called all the decisions taken in last 11 months without CMs signature as illegal. “We have told officers that we will review all such decisions taken action when we come to power and if any illegality is found, we will send people to jail”, he warned.
Chodankar then attacked the government on several of its policies. “What gave you’ll the right to lease Tourism properties for 60 years”, he questioned. He attacked Siddharth Kuncolekar by stating that smart city is a Rs 600 crore loot. He then turned his attention to MLA Michal Lobo. He said “ODP is a corruption shop. Without passing the ODP they are issuing permission based on draft ODP.” He attacked the TCP Minister by stating that Vijai Sardesai has opened a shop to sell Goa by changing colours on the regional plan on a suitcase to suitcase basis.
He accused Parrikar of visiting the Mandovi Bridge so that he could issue a completion certificate to the contractor and release their payment. Calling the project, a scam, he stated that his party will not allow Parrikar to release payment of Mandovi bridge.
His final attacks were on Speaker Pramod Sawant and the Governor. “Parrikar’s doesn’t have a minister who can hoist the flag and read the achievement that’s why he had to choose the speaker who is supposed to be as neutral as a judge.”, he said. He stated that BJP is using the governor like a buffalo who is used only for collecting milk and then is changed when it becomes useless.
Other speakers who spoke at the meeting were South Goa District President Joe Dias, Youth Congress president Varadh Mardolkar, Prathima Coutinho, Nilkant Haldankar, Francisco Sardinha, Ravi Naik and Rajan Ghate.
