Team Herald
PANJIM: Congress candidate for Panjim by-poll Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate will file his nomination on Friday and the party has claimed that it is time for the people of capital city to turn towards development.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Girish Chodankar said that former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar who had represented Panjim for more than two decades had, during the by-polls in 2017, promised that all issues plaguing the city would be resolved in 365 days after being elected.
“The problems of Panjim are far from being resolved almost 2 years (after) the by-election. People are getting an opportunity to change Panjim and the wave for change began during the last by-elections and it is moving in that direction,” he added.
Girish stated that even after representing the capital for 25 years, those who have not been able to provide proper water supply, do not have the right to talk of development. He said, “For the people of Panjim water is more important than the third Mandovi Bridge. GSIDC has spent crores of rupees in installation of statues in the name of beautification of the city, but water supply of 10 hours daily was more important than these statues.”
All India Congress Committee general secretary Mukul Wasnik on Wednesday announced that party president Rahul Gandhi had approved the candidature of Monserrate for the by-election. Monserrate, who was vice president of BJP ally Goa Forward Party, had resigned last week to join Congress. He also resigned as chairman of Greater Panjim Planning and Development Authority (GPPDA) to contest in Panjim.
Monserrate has been a minister in past governments of Parrikar, Digambar Kamat and Pratapsingh Rane.
