Team Herald
MARGAO: Congress candidate Francisco Sardinha filed three sets of papers for the Lok Sabha elections from South Goa constituency. He said if elected, he would be an ambassador between the Centre and the State and promised to resolve the mining issue and work on the long-standing demand for special status.
Sardinha lamented that the BJP government has destroyed all that the Congress had done earlier. “Mining was destroyed by the BJP and thus they trampled upon people’s livelihood for which people will not forgive them,” he said.
While pointing out that earlier, when he was the MP he had arranged four meetings with the Prime Minister to discuss the mining problem of Goa. “The BJP could not even fix one appointment with the mining affected for the last five years and as elections were drawing close the BJP leaders only met the prime minister for a brief moment,” he said adding that the prime minister only promised to look into the matter.
He said he would remove the CRZ amendment permitting development within 50 mts of the HTL and said he would also take up the issue of the nationalization of rivers and argued that Goan tidal rivers are very much different from rivers in the rest of the country.
“I shall also strive to bring about a ban on fishing during the spawning period of fish as is done in Goa as this ban should be implemented uniformly everywhere during the fish spawning season,” he said.
Declining to comment on the Mopa airport issue, as he said it was sub-judice, he pointed out that when he was the MP, the first direct flight to Mecca for Haj took off from the Dabolim airport.
Leader of Opposition Babu Kavalekar, former CM Digambar Kamat and Congress candidate at the last LS elections Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco proposed Francisco’s candidature.
Digambar, questioned how the BJP government could construct a third bridge across Mandovi river but could not complete the district hospital in South Goa for seven years now.
“The district hospital is needed to treat the poor and needy people and the BJP government is not at all in a hurry to complete that but inaugurated the third Mandovi bridge first,” he said.
GPCC President Girish Chodankar said the BJP’s So uth Goa MP failed to raise issues faced by the people in the Lok Sabha. He said the BJP after finishing mining and tourism is now targeting taxi owners by insisting on all India meters for their taxis. “The MP instead of raising issues affecting Goans was more interested in discussing about Foreign Direct Investment in casinos,” he said, while adding that Rahul Gandhi had promised to revive sustainable mining and assured Goans security of their land on lines with Himachal Pradesh.
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Details of Sardinha’s income
The affidavit submitted by Francisco Sardinha to the Returning Officer indicates that he has no loans nor any investment in NSS or insurance or postal savings and that his wife is a lot richer than him.
Francisco has Rs. 17,46,551 in his savings account while his wife Columbia Sardinha has Rs. 38,05,416 in five different savings account. Francisco has 9 fixed deposits having a total maturity value of Rs. 46,64,115; his wife has 12 fixed deposits with maturity value of Rs. 1,14,69,892. Francisco has not invested in any bonds; his wife has three bonds maturing at Rs. 10,90,560. Both husband and wife have 800 shares each in Vedanta Sesa Goa Equity Ltd, with each one’s shares valued at Rs. 1,49,600. Columbia has shares in four other companies which are valued at Rs. 2,13,437. Besides Francisco has 66 shares of Curtorim Communidade that are valued at Rs. 66,000.
Columbia has invested in 17 mutual funds whose total value is Rs. 83,90,140 and she is also the owner of most of the land in their possession. While at Ungirim in Curtorim she has four agricultural properties valued at Rs. 20,13,585 of which one land was inherited and the others purchased. She also inherited two agricultural properties at Paldem in Curtorim totally admeasuring 13,925 sq mts valued at Rs. 25,33,125 and purchased another property at Zori admeasuring 5,398 sq mts and valued at Rs. 3,68,413. Columbia inherited 1800 sq mts of land in Curtorim where a house has been constructed in an area of 449 sq mts and the property is today valued at Rs. 41,44,600.
Francisco and his wife jointly purchased agricultural property called Borchea Carea Molla in Curtorim admeasuring 2,471 sq mts and is valued at Rs. 17,25,000. They both purchased non-agricultural land at Bodko Vhodo in Pilerne and while Francisco owns 263 sq mts valued at Rs. 39,45,000 his wife owns 348 sq mts valued at Rs. 52,20,000. They have another property at the same place with Francisco owning 328 sq mts valued at Rs. 49,20,000 and his wife having 337 sq mts valued at Rs. 50,55,000. They jointly purchased 475 sq mts at Calapur in St Cruz which is valued at Rs. 23,50,000 altogether with their individual share being Rs. Rs. 11,75,000. While they do not possess any commercial properties, they both have two different residential premises. Francisco owns a plot admeasuring 454 sq mts at Culla Vainguinim on which 350 sq mt house is constructed and this is valued at Rs. 43,70,000 while Columbia owns a flat at Pereria Plaza Margao admeasuring 449 sq mts valued at Rs. 41,44,600.
Francisco has 160 gms of gold which is valued at Rs. 4,96,000 considering the value of gold to be Rs. 3,100 per gram. Columbia on the other hand has 270 gms of gold valued at Rs. 8,37,000. Incidentally Francisco’s annual income that was Rs. 12,86,059 increased to Rs. 15,15,772 in 2017-18.
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AAP convenor says people of Goa are backing the party as there has been a total betrayal of faith by sitting MLAs in view of the numerous defections and party hopping; Promises to be the voice of Goa
Team Herald
MARGAO: Elvis Gomes who on Tuesday, filed his nomination papers for the South Goa Lok Sabha elections, said the people of Goa were backing his party particularly due to the defections witnessed in Goa and the total betrayal of faith by MLAs who had no compunctions in changing their party loyalties.
Elvis filed two sets of papers and as AAP is not recognized as a national party by Election Commission of India each of the two sets had to be signed by 10 people as proposers. Incidentally Ramiro Masarenhas has been named as his election agent.
Elvis walked to the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative Complex with over 100 supporters who incidentally dropped the trade mark “Gandhi Topi” of AAP for the more modern cap which was blue in colour.
Apparently the Gandhi topi was dropped because Goans did not accept it and considered AAP to be a north Indian party because of that headgear.
Speaking to media persons after filing his papers, Elvis said these elections were important to all Goans as they would back AAP and he promised to serve the people of Goa by becoming their voice not only in the Lok Sabha but wherever required.
He said not only Goa’s environment but Goa’s identity was under threat today and hence urged all Goans to stand by AAP and get him elected to the Lok Saba.
Gomes expressed confidence that the people of Goa would vote for AAP during the upcoming LS and by-poll elections, while criticising Congress and BJP.
It maybe recalled that Elvis had earlier contested the State Assembly elections and the former bureaucrat had been projected as the potential CM of Goa.
