Team Herald
MARGAO: Goa Forward Party Chief Vijai Sardesai commented on scrapping of IIT by the government saying if The Chief Minister did it to respect the sentiments of people then why does he not consider the sentiments of the whole State on Mollem, coal and the linear projects and scrap them too.
The Goa Forward Party President questioned, “The Chief Minister should tell why he brought IIT at Melauli, when Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar and citizens of Sanguem supported it there.”
Sardesai said that “the villagers of Shel-Melauli have shown the way forward, they have shown with unity that this government can be brought down on its knees.”
He further said that the Chief Minister very well knew that, if the government had gone ahead with the IIT Project, Vishwajit Rane would have defeated him. In 2022 Assembly elections, Sawant needs Vishwajit to save his fort at Sanquelim. That’s the reason the Chief Minister has taken this U-Turn. It is more about political survival in his home borough than sentiments of the people.
Sardesai said that Pramod Sawant has done the unthinkable and will get curses of elderly women for directing Goa Police to physically walk on them.
Furthermore, he stated that Sagar Ekoskar of the Goa Police should be immediately suspended and asked why still no action has been taken on him.
“On one side you said the project is withdrawn, but what happens to the cases filed on the local villagers and the activists who were genuinely fighting for their cause and land,” questioned Sardesai.
He elaborated on his above statement by saying “when Vishwajit had earlier said that IIT won’t happen in Sattari it was final. The Chief Minister had no say in it. He is scared of Vishwajit Rane and needs Rane for his political survival.”
The Goa Forward Chief also said earlier he had demanded that a white paper on IIT should’ve been made public.
He pointed out why 10 lakh sq mtrs of land should be just given for IIT and how would it benefit Goa and the Goans’, must be transparently brought out to the citizens
“When the land is given there must be transparency. Projects like these should be discussed with the locals and all the stakeholders should be taken into confidence,” said Sardesai. He also hit out saying “here we have a Chief Minister who only takes orders from Delhi. Decisions taken by Sawant are either for his benefit or for his party leaders and their friends from Delhi.”
When reporters questioned him whether all projects, including good ones will evoke opposition from the Goans, he said, “After Parrikar’s death show me one good project that this government has brought in. Mhadei River water is diverted; projects are forced on the Goenkars for personal gains.”
He questioned “is getting cannabis a good project? The Chief Minister now says that his Cabinet ministers will visit villages, but are they going to tell villagers that they should stop cultivating paddy and start cultivating ganja.
“Atmanirbhar and Swayampurna is nothing but promoting ganja and vices in our State,” said Sardesai.
He concluded saying Pramod Sawant is “competing with Salazar to brutalise the State and commit atrocities on the Goenkars. Look at this track record — it is Mhadei River, Mollem, railway double tracking and ganja, but the highlight of it all is ignoring the people of Goa.”
