Panaji (Goa) While greeting the people of Goa a happy and prosperous new year, the Aam Aadmi Party (Goa) on Sunday claimed that the Vijay Sardesai-Manohar Parrikar nexus is hood-winking the people of Goa on core issues and termed the Common Minimum Program (CMP) as a farce stating that the CMP which is termed as the “guiding force” is actually a “guiding force for curruption.”
AAP questioned the premise of the CMP and sought to know what has happened to the issue of shifting of casinos, adopting land use plan (RP), transfer of development rights (TDRs), some of the important features in the CMP. AAP also made a categoric statement accusing Vijay Sardesai for fooling the people of Goa by seeking their mandate with his anti BJP/Parrikar claims while “in reality he had long before elections, struck the deal with Parrikar to form the unholy alliance.”
In a statement issued here, AAP Goa Secretary Mr. Pradip Padgaonkar said, “Vijay has claimed that parrikar is working on non political issues which affect common man one of which is garbage. Where is the plan of action? The government is a non starter in dealing with garbage and issues of common man. On the contrary, issues that are meant to inflame the people’s passion are raked up for political gains. People of Goa are realising that attention has been diverted by pushing people into agitations such as coal, river nationalisation and now Mhadei to cover up its failures. Let them come clean on core Goa issues which affect Goenkar’s and Goenkarponn and resolve to fulfill its promises to the people of Goa, in the new year.”
He further cautioned the duo that Goans have realised that the only area efforts are put is to keep the unholy alliance intact. “Vijay had claimed that the CMP will be the backbone of his government. Therefore, let Vijay come clean on his demand for 80% jobs in private sector be reserved for the local youth,” added Mr. Padgaonkar.
He further questioned, “What has happened to his demand of moving out the Casinos from the River Mandovi? What is his stand on river nationalisation today as against his demand for de-nationalisation of Goan Rivers before elections? What about free water to each household, free power for agriculture, free WiFi access, affordable housing, day-care centres for seniors and children, and fish-coconut-bread at affordable prices? I beleive he had tried to take a page out of our leader and Delhi Chief Minister Mr. Arvind Kejriwal’s model of good governance. Vijay should now be humble to deliver on the promise to the common man as done in Delhi. Adopt good government initiatives on health & education as Goa has nothing to show on this front.”
AAP dared him to explain his stand on the Investment Promotion Board which he had termed to be a den of corruption? Has he tightened the rules as was promised to the people of Goa before elections?
“The man who had a fairly undistinguished time in office as Defence Minister of the country, Manohar Parrikar’s reputation as a modest man, efficient administrator with zero tolerance for corruption have no takers in Goa anymore. He has been a miserably failed CM in his 4th term for massively failing to deliver on his party’s key manifesto promises and it is obvious now that he is working for the casino and real estate lobbies,” claimed Mr. Padgaonkar.
“What happens to his promise of “zero tolerance to corruption” and good governance”? The 3 kms cemented Miramar -DonaPaula road should be taken as BJP best governance model for the rest of the country by Surface Transport ministry for it costed nearly 100 crores and is still incomplete after four years of construction time, reducing it from 2 lanes to 1.5 lanes, allowing unauthorised dangerous intersections, facilitating over speeding, replacing new 11KV cable within 2 years, illumination similar to reading lamps, thereby making a mockery of the term SMART,” he further stated.
AAP further questioned. “What happens to his promise of doing away with Goa’s casino industry? Where are the guidelines for waste disposal and eco-friendly operation of casinos? Was it not he who had attacked casinos in 2007 election campaign, describing them as dens of corruption and vices? People of Goa have noted your U turn on casinos since 2012, since your government embraced hard-learned pragmatism towards gambling; that it was a multi-million dollar industry contributing over Rs 100 crore in taxes, that casinos employ around 3000 workers and attract a sizeable section of Goa’s three million tourists annually, and hence shutting casinos down might well be self-sabotage.”
Mr. Padgaonkar lamented that there is no opposition in the state. “Congress, which is in principal opposition, will never be able to answer to the people of Goa over surrendering power to BJP after the people gave 17 seats to them as they are a B team of the BJP. Likewise, the grand old party will also never be able to explain to the people of Goa its silence on issues plaguing Goa. In the new year, the Congress too should resolve to either play its part as the principal opposition without fearing vendetta or claim no moral right, whatsoever,” he concluded.
