Panaji (Goa): As the four-day-long legislative assembly session inches closer, the Goa government is leaving no stone unturned to counter every question expected by the Opposition on contentious issues like coal handling and river nationalization.
In a meeting of all BJP ministers and legislators, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has sent out a strong signal that “wrong propaganda by the Congress” needs to be countered vehemently. While ministers are asked to do a thorough homework, the legislators are asked not to skip any session.
“The ministers have been asked to prepare every bit from their respective portfolios so that every question tabled by the Opposition benches can be countered accurately. Similarly, the MLAs are instructed to remain present throughout the session from morning to evening, on all four days,” one of the BJP MLA said following an hour-long meeting with the CM.
The meeting comes at the time when the Congress has launched a scathing attack against the government over coal handling and rover nationalization issues, alleging that latter’s intentions are not in favour of the Goans. The BJP legislators were thus asked to ensure that every wrong propaganda by the Congress in the House be countered strongly.
The Congress has charged the BJP-led coalition for attempting to convert Goa into a coal hub while the six rivers, which would be developed under the Central project, will give away all authorities to the Centre and State will have no rights over it.
At a recent meeting of all party-backed grassroot elected representatives and karyakartas, Parrikar had asked to create awareness among the masses that Goa government has always been against ‘coal pollution’ and river nationalization will not snatch away Goa’s rights.
It was in the month of August that State government had sent a written communiqué to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to stop further expansion of coal activity. At the same time, Parrikar has slammed that instead of objecting of coal, because of which Goa get electricity supply, people should object to coal pollution.
On the issue of river natioanalisation, he has said that MoU with Inland Waterways Authority of India, MPT and Goa government will be signed after presenting the draft before legisaltors across all the political parties. He also clarified that Goa will maintain the rights while Centre will play the role of only bearing the expenses.
