NCP FORMS CORE COMMITTEE IN GOA AHEAD OF NEXT YEAR’S ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS

PANJIM: Ahead of next year's Assembly elections in Goa, NCP president and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has constituted a core committee to strengthen the party, under state unit president Surendra Sirsat.  The other members of the core committee are Nationalist Mahila Congress General Secretary Bharati Chavan, NCP National Secretary Jitendra Deshprabhu, Jose Philip D Souza, Nilkant Halarnekar, Senior Vice-President Carmo Pegdo, Pandurang Raut and Sangeeta Parab and co-ordinator Pragul Patel.

Mr Pawar, who is in Goa since Sunday on a private visit, after addressing the state executive committee last evening, said the Core committee will visit all 40 Assembly segments in the state to meet the people and hear their grievances.

It will constitute booth and block NCP committees in preparation for the state Assembly elections next year. The minister said a decision on reinducting Benaulim MLA Micky Pacheco in the Cabinet will be taken only after his conviction was set aside by the court. At present, the situation has changed and Revenue Minister Jose Philip D Souza and Tourism Minister Nilkant Halarnkar would continue to hold their posts in the Cabinet, he added.

The minister said his party would adopt an aggressive stand against illegal mining in Goa and expect the state government to take stringent action in illegal mining, adding illegal mining would destroy Goa, its culture and environment.  The party and people of the state could benefit from two NCP leaders (including himself) and Union Industries Minister Praful Patel of various Central government schemes, he added.

Responding to the issue of medium of instruction (MOI), Mr Pawar said he had been told that large number of poor children were eager to study in English medium primary schools and as such the government should consider their demand and allow them to study in English. – UNI