GBA: CHIEF MINISTER HAS FAILED THE GOANS

PANJIM: Goa Bachao Abhiyan on Thursday ridiculed Chief Minister Digambar Kamat for avoiding them over the Regional Plan 2021, even as it submitted a memorandum to his Officer on Special Duty late evening at the official residence in Altinho, here.

The CM remained out of public glare for the entire day and was even conspicuous by his absence at the International Travel Mart, here, at Campal, here. A senior police official was heard telling reporters outside the official residence Kamat had left for Delhi yesterday.

Joint Secretary Miguel Braganza said they had taken an appointment for today seven days prior and it was the CM’s duty to meet the GBA delegation over their legitimate demand.

Earlier, representatives from different villages took pot-shots at the CM and the authorities concerned over the delay in finalisation of RP. Most of them also spoke in strong terms about bringing a sweeping change in the Government at the next elections.

“CM you are a liar and a coward. Where is the plan?” questioned Venita Coelho, a scriptwriter from the village of Moira. Goa Foundation’s Dr Claude Alvares urged the people not to let their guard down at this juncture and feel demoralised because victory was near. He spelt out the several victories people had to their credit because of agitations that made the Government take note. At one point of time during his speech he went on to call those in power as crooked bastards.

Dr Alvares maintained the government had already notified the draft RP 2021 and it had the same value as that of the new RP, which is yet to be finalised with a few changes. He ridiculed the disappearance of project files from panchayat offices and lambasted the CM too for doing a disappearing act like these today.

GBA treasurer Annand Madgavkar, Francis Rodrigues from Tiracol, Anthony D’Silva from Ambelim (Salcete), Uday Malvankar from Tivim, Swati Kerkar from Keri (Ponda), Zarina D’Cunha of Nuvem, Dr Jaynath Dulapkar, Durgadas Gaonkar of GAKUVED, John Philp Pereira from Verna and Aravind Bhatikar were the others who expressed their angst against the Government in their short speeches.

At around 6.15 pm after the meeting at the Azad Maidan wounded the people who had gathered began their march to the CM’s residence under the banner of GBA and led by its convenor Sabina Martins. However, they were stopped near the Panjim Church Square by a large posse of policemen who had barricaded the entire road leading to Cortim.

What ensued as a result of the police barricading was an irritating traffic snarl that inconvenienced motorists eager to get to their homes during the peak hours. There were small instances of heated exchanges between the police and individuals over the last-minute and uninformed traffic diversion.

The road remained blocked by the police for over half-an-hour till the delegation of the GBA consisting of 15 members had submitted the memorandum to the CM’s OSD at his official residence.