MARGAO/PANJIM: The intense pressure from Siolim residents was evident on the faces of Fisheries Minister Vinod Palyekar and his officer on special duty (OSD) Durgadas Kamat while leaving the meeting room of GFP supremo Vijai Sardesai.
Though it is learnt that the meeting was convened to discuss the issue with regards to Palyekar and Kamat, Sardesai cleared the doubts saying the meeting was called to discuss the organisation of Opinion Poll Day.
Palyekar and Kamat were among the first few to leave the meeting room and refrained from making any comments. The meeting was attended by Babush Monserrate, Jayesh Salgaonkar, Prashant Naik, Mohandas Lolienkar and other party members.
After the meeting, Sardesai informed Herald that the Goa Forward Party will not be oblivious to the sentiments of the people, who have expressed their dissent.” Siolim residents at a meeting held earlier on Wednesday demanded the removal of Durgadas Kamat as Palyekar’s OSD.
Vijai maintained that the late night meeting at his residence wasn’t about the issue.
He said, “I have myself personally assured the people that we are a regional party which feels the pulse of people. We are not oblivious to the sentiments of the people and what people want, the underlying sentiments of the people will be respected”.
“People feel that there are some hindrances the way the minister is working and we will certainly take corrective steps,” he said.
However, he said the OSD cannot be chosen by the people and is selected by the minister.
“How can we force a minister to choose a particular OSD? We will certainly respect the sentiments of the people but it will not be proper to decide the OSD,” Vijai said.
“For us to make changes is not a very big deal because the high command is here. The minister spoke before, people spoke later and I spoke last. Hence, he (Vinod) has not been able to speak regarding the issue. Certainly, the minister will get in touch with the people,” he added.
On his role as president of the Goa Forward Party, Vijai said the party has a Political Affairs Committee and the committee will take a decision.
However, he said that the right to select or change OSD of a particular minister doesn’t vest with the people of the constituency but only with the minister.
Meanwhile, Goa Forward workers including sarpanchas and panchas on Wednesday demanded the removal of Fisheries Minister Vinod Palyekar’s officer on special duty (OSD) Durgadas Kamat.
Leading the charge at the meeting held in Siolim against Durgadas was Uday Palyekar, the minister’s brother.
The workers alleged that Kamat has blocked many works of the panchayat in Siolim and had made the minister inaccessible to the people of the constituency.
