MARGAO
With anger and frustration building up over the government’s ambivalent stand against the contentious projects of double-tracking and coal transportation, a group of agitated villagers of Sarzora descended at the residence of Salcete lone Minister, Filipe Neri Rodrigues and questioned him over his stand on the ill-conceived projects and the action he has initiated to get these projects scraped.
Questioning his silence on the controversial projects and his absence at the ongoing agitations, the residents pointed out that the Minister along with the 10 Congress-turned-BJP MLAs should withdraw from the government if Chief Minister Pramod Sawant does not listen to them and issue a notification scrapping the projects.
While the Minister, who represents Velim constituency in the Legislative Assembly, tried to assure them that he has been working silently to get the government take a decision and will again take up the matter with the Chief Minister, the residents in no uncertain terms said they are unhappy with the assurances given by Filipe Neri. They have now decided to go to the Minister’s residence with a much bigger crowd next Thursday to hear from Filipe Neri what the Chief Minister has told him on the controversial projects.
Sarzora Sarpanch Sabita Mascarenhas told the media after the residents of Sarzora and Chinchinim called on the Minister that the people went to see Filipe Neri to know his stand on the controversial projects. “We have not seen him in the ongoing agitation. Hence, since Filipe Neri represents us in the Assembly and is a Minister in the Pramod Sawant Cabinet, we called on him to know his stand,” she said, while lamenting that the people did not get a clear assurance that the government will scrap the projects.
“The Minister has only promised the people that he would again discuss the matter with the Chief Minister. We questioned him where he was all this time when people from his constituency in Sao Jose de Areal had been battling with the Railways over land issue. I told Filipe Neri that since he along with 10 Congress MLAs had joined the BJP for development, they should leave the government if the Chief Minister does not listen to them,” she added.
Saying that people are not convinced by the assurances of the WRD Minister, Sabita said people in large numbers will again call on Filipe Neri on next Thursday for an answer since he has assured to talk to the Chief Minister.
The people made it clear that they are not happy with Filipe Neri’s statement that he was working silently by taking up the issue with the Chief Minister, saying “working silently will not suffice. When he is in the government, he is equally responsible for the illegal work carried out by the Railways.”
A young girl told the media that they had come to meet Filipe Neri just to know his stand and decision on the coal and double-tracking projects. “We need action because the construction activity has started and the government is not coming out with a clear stand on the controversial issues,” she said.
