MARGAO: Refuting the charges laid on the government by Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Luizinho Faleiro, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar challenged the former to a public debate on the status of the State government’s finances over the last three years. He also blasted the erstwhile Congress government for its decisions that left the State coffers in a precarious condition and said it was to be blamed.
Faleiro earlier asserted that the current high inflation levels were due to mishandling of the state’s economy, and he used Reserve Bank of India (RBI) facts to support his claims.
Parrikar said it was commendable how the BJP government had done well against all odds as far as finances were concerned. He listed out various woes of the government, such as the deficit and the loss of Rs 125 crore due to the mining ban, and added that the government still used Rs 70 crore to fund the various governments schemes initiated when he was CM.
He further stated that Faleiro’s attacks were false and baseless and that the government could back its claims.
He highlighted the achievements of the BJP government in Goa and the Centre and said both governments were not scared of taking tough measures. He pointed out that the Centre had cancelled a multi-crore Reliance power project as it was not financially feasible and it was aware of the difficulties faced by the public.
Regarding the complaints by Goans over the rise in electricity charges, he reasoned that the electricity tariffs in Goa were still cheaper compared to other States.
Parrikar was addressing BJP workers at the Karyakarta Melava held in Margao.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza, and South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar spoke about various development issues concerning Goa, while BJP State President Vinay Tendulkar urged the members to help strengthen the BJP force in Goa and spoke about party related activities.
Parsekar and D’Souza said the financial bids for construction of the district hospital should be opened soon and tendered by mid-August. They attributed the delay to the change in original plans, which involved accommodating a nursing college. Sawaikar said the work on the long-pending Talpona and Galgibaga bridges would begin soon after the pending formalities would be taken up with the Centre at the upcoming parliament session.
On July 1, the Public Works Department tendered the Rs 280-crore Canacona bypass road project, which included construction of three four-lane bridges over the rivers at Talpona, Galgibaga and Mashem. The project is being funded by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
