MAPUSA: Former waste management minister and Congress Calangute candidate Michael Lobo said that Goa’s natural wealth needs to be protected for the future generation.
He also said that Congress will scrap all the three linear projects if the party is voted to power.
He was speaking at the inauguration of Congress candidate Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira’s election office at Aldona on Sunday.
Congress Mahila president Beena Naik, Congress youth president Varad Mardolkar, chairperson of media cell Goa Amarnath Panjikar, Goa desk in charge Dinesh Gundu Rao, Aldona block president Farida Naik, party vice presidents Pramod Salgaonkar and M K Shaikh were also present.
“Don’t give Goans what they don’t want. People of Goa should not suffer. I had opposed the double tracking as well as Tanmar projects. They want to cut trees and bring additional electricity for the state. Former chief minister Manohar Parrikar is on record that there would be a cap on coal handling. But they want to the double tracking project to transport coal to Karnataka. We will not allow this to happen. We will scrap these projects, including the six-lane project. This is our promise when we come to power. This is our wealth. We need to protect it for our future generations,” he said.
Lobo said that development does not mean hot-mixing or roads, rather it means development of the youth.
Speaking on jobs for the youth of Aldona, Lobo cited an example of how one minister told the present Aldona MLA that he must contribute to the party fund if he wants jobs.
“There is no value for this MLA. The chief minister is promising a ministerial berth if the Aldona MLA is re-elected. But this won’t happen as they will not win more than 10 seats and the Aldona MLA himself will lose, including the CM,” he said.
“The present MLA only thinks of self-development. When Adv Carlos wins and goes to assembly and seeks information on the expenditure of funds in GDIC, people will know the truth about the corruption. Vote for change will happen in Aldona. And Adv Ferreira will create a record and win with a huge margin,” he said.
Adv Ferreira thanked former Aldona MLA Dayanand Narvekar for providing his house for the election office.
“As I open my election office today, I seek your prayers and blessings to enable me success in my new foray so that I am serve for the greater glory of God with the spirit of humanity. That will be my motto for my election,” he said.
Rao said that Adv Ferreira has held many responsibilities in the party and has been a guide to many political leaders, and has played a key role in shaping Goa.
“We have seen the Covid mismanagement in the state. So many people lost their lives. They died due lack of oxygen and beds. What kind of government cannot it secure the lives of its own citizens?” he said.
BJP will be defeated in the elections, Rao said.
“There have been so many scandals by the BJP government. They could not give jobs during the past 5 years, and now as elections were approaching, they were selling jobs. Giving jobs became a business for them. And one of their own MLAs accused a minister of accepting bribes for jobs. Goa requires a stable front. That is in the hands of the people. This trend of defections and corruption has to end. People should not just vote for an MLA, they should vote to form a good government. Congress is the only party that is capable of winning more than 21 seats in Goa. No other party can do this,” he added.
Loading ...
