Team Herald
Panjim: The government came at the receiving end of the Opposition and sections of the people over enforcement of three-day lockdown in the State. With no clarity on ‘essentials,’ several working places besides industries and mining trucks were operating on day-one of the lockdown on Friday.
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As a video of movement of ore-laden trucks went viral, Congress and Goa Forward Party slammed the government for allowing the activity in the lockdown.
“CM Pramod Sawant is now involved in theft and transportation of ore under the cover of lockdown. He is looting the natural wealth by ordering people to stay at home,” said Goa Congress General Secretary Amarnath Panjikar, in a press statement issued on Friday.
He pointed out to the alleged illegal movement of trucks carrying mining ore on roads of Sanquelim-Bicholim, claiming that the trucks were not Goa-registered and that the drivers as well as the cleaner were non-Goans. “They did not carry any documents of mining ore transportation,” he alleged.
GFP President Vijai Sardesai took to Twitter charging the government as “Loot ki Sarkar.” “Ore transportation from Sirsai to Amona via Sanquelim during #lockdown today! Possible without collusion from very top of political leadership & administration? @DrPramodPSawant Govt is truly a #SootLootKiSarkar ! Vascocars know of Soot from #Coal & Goans know of #Mining Loot!” he tweeted with a video on the movement of trucks.
The Pramod Sawant-led government also faced criticism from its very own party leader over lack of clarity and confusion over the lockdown. Since his announcement on Wednesday evening, the State’s market witnessed overcrowding of shoppers. Party spokesperson Dattaprasad Naik raised concern that this could lead to further increase in COVID-19 cases.
“Today’s Mad Rush in Markets across Goa can definitely be a CORONA BOOSTER, effects of which will be seen in the next 8 days. People had to be informed properly in advance that GROCERY STORES & MILK will not be SHUT,” he tweeted on Thursday.
Several people began crowding at the markets to buy vegetables and groceries in absence of specific listing of what is open and closed during the lockdown. As per the order on Thursday evening, all shops/establishments except essentials; officials including government excluding those pertaining to essentials government functioning and private offices excluding those pertaining to essentials and market except for essentials will remain closed. There was no clarity on what the essentials were.
The restaurants, tea shops, pan shops, street food vendors, other food shops/joints (dhabas, gaddas), beach shacks and all other types of eateries, public transport except taxis, sports complexes, shopping malls, wine and liquor shops and all the religious places will also remain shut till 6am on July 20.
All Goa liquor licensed premises doing wholesale and retail sale have been asked to close their shops by 7 pm from July 20 to August 10 in view of the night curfew imposed by the govt. Sale of liquor is banned during the three days of the lockdown.
On Friday, although by and large, people remained indoors, the majority working class, was on the move; and shops selling vegetables, fruits, and milk remained open for the general public.
The Opposition has already come down heavily on the State government for imposing a lockdown without proper strategy. GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar has lashed out at the CM stating that partial lockdown is a reflection of defective administration.
He added that the lockdown had no scientific base nor was it a solution. Aam Aadmi Party Convener Elvis Gomes had also labeled the three-day-lockdown as scientific while highlighting other missteps of the government. Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte, on the other hand, has been demanding a 15 days lockdown.
CM Sawant has already faced the wrath for wrongly claiming that Goa Governor Satya Pal Malik blamed the media for misleading stories. Downplaying lockdown demands from various sections of people at a time when Vasco witnessed a spike in cases, CM has been criticized by the Governor for ‘judgmental errors in handling COVID-19.’
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