CONGRESS, GOA FORWARD SKIP MEETING CALLED TO DISCUSS 60th YEAR CELEBRATIONS OF GOA LIBERATION
PANAJI: The opposition Congress Party and the Goa Forward Party on Tuesday boycotted the first meeting of organising committee of 60th Year of Goa Liberation convened by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to discuss and chalk out programme for the 60th year celebrations of Goa Liberation.
Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat wrote a letter to the Chief Minister demanding that the 60th year of Goa’s Liberation must be celebrated by helping the needy with Rs 100 crore economic revival package and involvement of local artistes, groups and institutions.
Kamat stated in his strongly worded letter that government must focus on visionary plans for betterment of Goa and refrain from incurring huge expenditure when the State is in bad financial condition and people are suffering due to COVID pandemic.
Kamat also objected to the government sending notice of meeting to members of the organising committee just on the eve of the scheduled meeting.
“I would also like to place on record that I was neither contacted nor informed about inclusion of my name in the committee constituted by the government. It appears that the meeting convened on Tuesday is just a formality as the agenda of the meeting clearly indicates that government has already made up its mind to approve the proposal submitted by the nodal department viz Department of Information and Publicity for the celebration of 60th year of Goa’s Liberation.”
Kamat felt that the real tribute to all freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives and fought for Goa’s Liberation will be by extending helping hand to the needy. The government must curtail expenditure on celebrations and focus on providing basic facilities to the common man, especially during these testing times, he said.
Goa Forward Party working president Kiran Kandolkar also stated that celebrations of 60 years of liberation is waste of precious public money at a time when Goa’s economy is in shambles, with Sawant government borrowing money to pay salaries.
“We stand by our demand that the celebrations should be scrapped and money be used to help people who are badly affected due to COVID-19 pandemic and not to fill cronies pockets,” Kandolkar said adding that there is nothing to celebrate about with the government pushing so many anti-Goan projects.