TEAM HERALD
PANJIM/ OLD GOA: Even as he confirmed that he had received offers to merge his party with his former party ~the Nationalist Congress Party, Goa Vikas Party legislator Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco took potshots at Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for failing to take action against those involved in illegal mining in the state.
Earlier speaking to Herald, Pacheco said the GVP would also field candidates for the north and south Goa Lok Sabha seats, while claiming that the time has come for a change in south Goa.
The Nuvem MLA told a press conference Saturday, “When he (Parrikar) was the leader of the opposition and headed the public accounts committee (PAC), he said that there was massive loss to the state exchequer through illegal mining. But in the last one and half year, I did not see any person named in the report facing action.”
Though he supported resumption of legal mining, he also demanded that all those named in the PAC report should be interrogated and punished.
“Parrikar holds the mining portfolio. By now he should understand his department and what all went wrong…50 percent of the people in Goa survive on mining and today they are on the streets. Who is responsible?” he questioned.
Pacheco, who quit the NCP to contest the last assembly elections on GVP ticket, was also non-committal about merging with the NCP ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections next year, though he did not deny the ongoing talks.
“I had several proposals and a lot of talks took place … There was a proposal from NCP. But we are yet to come to a decision. Nothing can be ruled out,” Pacheco said as he responded to news reports about GVP-NCP merger.
Mickky said NCP is left without any legislator and wants to make their presence felt in the Goa legislative Assembly.
“When I left the party I had told Sharad Pawar (NCP supremo) the reason and circumstances (under which) I was quitting…He also thought by now the party would have had at least five legislators in the assembly. I have proved myself,” he said when asked whether he was in touch with Pawar.
Meanwhile, Pacheco is not quite happy with Parrikar’s recent remark on Goan Catholics being culturally Hindus. “I don’t agree with the statement…I don’t think the cultures meet,” was how he reacted when asked for his comments.
On the Lok Sabha elections, Pacheco told Herald on Friday: “I have to still decide and will talk to my party members and we might field candidates in south and north Goa in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls..
Asked if there was a need for a change in south Goa where Francisco Sardinha is the MP, he said: “I believe that time has come for a change in south goa as I have personally worked for Sardinha in the last two elections. But till now, I don’t find any changes such as any major developmental works in my constituency.”
“As far as my constituency is concerned, Sardinha has not even visited it once and the elected representative should know that he has to have some respect for the people who have supported, voted and got him elected,” said Pacheco, “Hence, I want to field my own candidate and will not comment on any of the national political parties,” he added.
