PANJIM: The Opposition benches castigated the government for failing to enlist the shortfalls in governance in the maiden speech of Goa Governor Mridula Sinha to the Goa Assembly on Monday. Sinha addressed the House elucidating the government’s achievements on day one of the Budget session of the Goa Legislative Assembly.
Failures on various fronts such as finalization of the Regional Plan 2021, shifting of casinos from Mandovi River, failure to appoint Information Commissioners, while also making amendments to Right To Information Act, failure to upgrade and streamline 108 services, failure to come up with a housing policy for low and middle income groups, failure to enforce use of biodegradable bags in the State were among a long list of 23 amendments the legislators proposed to the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s address, on Tuesday.
Opposition Leader Pratapsing Rane, Congress MLA Digambar Kamat, Pandurang Madkaikar and Vishwajit Rane, and Independent MLA Vijai Sardesai, who moved amendments in the House slammed the government particularly on RP 2021.
Madkaikar also raised the issue of unemployment among youth, holding the government responsible for increasing thefts and suicides. “The main issues were not covered in the speech. The speech made during the last budget session and promises made during the 2012 assembly elections have been forgotten,” he said.
“There was no policy for youth (discussed in the Governor’s speech). Youth are frustrated because there are no jobs. There is a rise in the number of thefts and suicides and the government is responsible for all these.”
The Cumbarjua MLA also discussed massive corruption at lower levels in government offices, stating that common man is the victim. “The ZP election results are warning that people are not happy with the government,” he added.
Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte came down heavily on the ruling coalition asking people to take action against the government over its failure to run the State as was promised during 2012 Assembly elections. “People of Goa should take action against the government, it is going in the other direction than what it portrayed and promised in 2012 State elections. The administration has suffered vertical collapse,” he said, adding, “While there is CM (Laxmikant Parsekar) speaking on an issue, there is also ‘super CM’ speaking, which is creating confusion. This has affected the common man.”
Attempts for back door entry to industrial unit for development on orchard land and forest cover by creating Investment Board was also taken up by Khaunte. He also raised the issue on holding back RP, failing to shift offshore casinos out of river Mandovi, no government assistance on building toilets in a large number of houses, among other issues.
“What Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Nitol Goem is the government talking of? There is not even proper garbage management in the State, no door-to-door garbage collection. Moreover, beach cleaning is a bigger scam,” he said taking a dig at the government on waste management.
Sardesai termed the ZP elections as semi-final wherein government nearly failed to gain confidence of the people after three years of being in power.
