It is my allegation that Police are accepting money from the drug dealers
HERALD: You raised the Drugs issue more vigorously in the Assembly, tell me something more about the entire contention you made on the floor of the house.
Alex Reginaldo Lourenco: The police is taking the issue of drugs in Goa so lightly that they are making it look like it is a Matka case they are dealing with. They think they will get away with it. The moment there is some noise and resentment against drugs police very tactfully register some cases and nothing is done after that. This is not Matka. Drugs is something that destroys families. Matka too destroys family life but at least the health is not lost and it is the only god given wealth for human being. I am not going to tolerate it.
There is no question of police not knowing about this and the suggestion discussed in the Assembly of having Police near the schools is just another attempt of creating additional hafta for police. It is my allegation that Police are accepting money from the drug dealers.
HERALD: You have also alleged that the government is not proactive in curtailing drugs can you elaborate on this allegation?
Reginaldo: If drugs are not available in Goa and Police and Government didn’t know this, then the police wouldn’t have given a statement on the drugs available in the state on the floor of house. The drugs have today reached the villages, and if the police say that they don’t know about this then we don’t require the police they have to be removed from their jobs. In fact Manohar Parrikar as the head of government has completely failed on curbing drugs and is a shame on him for telling MLA to give names of the people in drugs trade.
HERALD: What are the realistic solutions according to you to curb this drug issue?
Reginaldo: There are two realistic solutions of which one is the government showing its sincerity of handling the issue. There is a requirement for a nice drug addiction rehabilitation centre. If a man of action is put on the Home Minister chair he will be able to do it and I will assist him. Within 6 months I am confident that we will be able to show CM what is the surgical strike on the drugs issue in Goa. Is there is a independent charge given I will assist him as there is a strong arm action which is required against this issue. All know that only the youth is getting completely spoiled in this menace and it is very serious.
Manohar Parrikar looks like he is in a way to destroy Goa and looks like he’s doing it deliberately even after being called the best administrator of Goa.
HERALD: House committee was made on drugs issue and the report was tabled to the house what is your view on that report?
Reginaldo: House Committee head Micky Pacheco as the Chairman and Manohar Parrikar as CM had done it to do fixing to run the government. He did not do it for the good of Goa but to grind axe against the Congress and Ravi Naik. Also it was to keep Micky happy for some time and the fact that BJP MLA Michael Lobo and also Vijai Sardesai not signing the report shows that it was on the instruction of Manohar Parrikar.
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Let us together bring an end to drugs
HERALD: The Congress cornered the government in the assembly on the issue of drugs for which PWD Minister Ramkrishna Dhavalikar had no answers?
Michael LOBO: Congress is trying to say that drug sale is rampant but I strongly deny the allegation of the opposition, there were drugs being sold, I am not denying that but when we took the matter in the assembly and after that Chief Minister took a meeting of the police and bureaucracy along with coastal belt MLA’s and he seriously took this matter and there were lot of arrests as far as drugs are concerned. Also there were raids on the coastal belts even for that matter Mapusa, Ponda there were raids where there were allegations that drugs were being sold. Vigilance improved there were lot of transfers of the constables who were there on duty but not reporting such cases. So a lot of changes were there and with those no doubt small quantities were caught but numbers in one month 50 odd cases were booked but in that about three cases were of huge quantities. So this government is serious on drugs. Parrikar brought a crackdown on drugs which is going on till now.
HERALD: What is this issue about drugs on college campuses?
LOBO: There are no sale of drugs on campuses let me be very frank but there were cases earlier of drugs of sales happening beyond the campuses. Strict vigil has to be kept in small shops selling cigarettes and other items near campuses. Movement and men and women also who are trying to interact with students also has to be checked. There are lot of likeminded people who give time for future generations of Goa. There were drug sales happening in Nagoa in which a lot of youth were gathering to smoke drugs and we stopped. Two parents only came to me saying about this matter and then action was taken.
HERALD: Did Congress bring this issue on drugs in the house as the Chief Minister was not present?
LOBO: I strongly feel that since Dhavalikar did not know about this issue as it was always handled by the Chief Minister from the home department and it is he (Parrikar) who knew how many meetings were taken. Every week Manohar Parrikar was taking the meetings and I have also given certain inputs. To corner someone when somebody is not there is not right and Congress should in fact give information about any such cases of drugs being sold. Now you go to coastal belts things are not as same as before.
HERALD: Why do you think Congress has suddenly woken up to the issue?
LOBO: There was rampant sale of drugs during the Congress tenure, when we came to power also there was drugs but I can give you an assurance on this that when our government came to power slowly there were lot of raids. First five years you can say 50 per cent improved but now it has improved quite a bit. Now the police also are strict and they don’t leave any stone unturned in drug cases. Young boys and girls who were involved in drug consumption were also rounded up and parents were called. Good work has been done by police and narcotics department.
HERALD: You yourself have been raising the drugs issue in the assembly many times but why is it that drugs trade is still flourishing?
LOBO: Let us together bring an end to drugs; I mean to say let the Congress should participate with the government to bring an end for sale of drugs. They should not do a blame game as nothing improves in that, when you blame one and other it is good to hear on the media but there is no improvement and nothing happens when you blame others. This is not the solution but the solution is about working together to see that the sale of drugs decreases. The drug scene is under control, people selling drugs are scared. The government is serious about the issue of drugs.
