TEAM HERALD
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MARGAO: Clamour for a new Goa Pradesh Congress committee chief rent the air at a joint meeting of South Goa Congress district Committee and Block presidents from the district on Saturday attended by AICC Secretary Dr Chella Kumar.
The controversial removal and appointment of some of the block presidents also figured at the meeting as the outgoing Benaulim Block President Edwin Barretto questioned the manner in which the party presidents were removed and appointed the new block presidents.
With some of the members raising questions about the inordinate delay in appointing a new GPCC president, Dr Kumar remarked that he has been hearing this demand since the last four months, expressing his helplessness in addressing the issue, saying the issue falls within the domain of the high command.
Outgoing Benaulim Block Congress president Edwin Barretto was bitter in his complaint about his unceremonious removal from the post by the GPCC president. There was a heated exchange of words between Edwin and Dr Kumar, even as former PWD minister Churchill Alemao and daughter Valanka, who attended the meeting watched the exchanges.
After the meeting, Dr Kumar told the media that the issue of removing and appointing a block president is the prerogative of the GPCC president. Denying any controversy over the issue of block presidents, Dr Kumar said the matter would be sorted out, by accommodating some of the leaders at higher party positions.
When newsmen pointed out that members of the blocks were not consulted or taken into account while effecting changes to the blocks, Dr Kumar defended the decision, saying that such complaints come from groups whose leaders are removed from the positions.
Replying to a question, he said today’s meeting was called to mobilise the party workers and gear up for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. “I am visiting every block and hold discussions with every Congress member on how to strengthen the organisation. The response has been good so far. We have decided to take up issues of common public importance, where the BJP government has failed to deliver,” he said.
