Says would like to stay away from Mickky, GVP
BENAULIM: Stating that he was upset with the current state of affairs, Benaulim MLA Caitu Silva feels the situation in Goa is spiralling downwards ever since former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar resigned and joined the central government.“There were troubles in the State at that time as well. I understand that Parrikar had to give the keys to someone, but now I think he should have given it to someone else,” said Silva. He acknowledged that Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had done “some” good work, but he was upset with the government at large.He referred to the recent incident in which the church body called the Catholic MLAs. He said he was the first to attend the meeting and last to leave. Not only that; he had raised issues regarding schools across Goa and had also brought other issues affecting the minority community to Parsekar’s notice in front of the other Catholic MLAs.This brings into focus Caitu’s plans, given his equation with the BJP, but more importantly, his relations with his own Goa Vikas Party supremo Francisco Mickky Pacheco. He said, “The way things are going, I don’t think I have a future with GVP because of the general secretary. I will discuss this matter when I meet Mickky about the party.”Caitu has shared a bittersweet relationship with Pacheco. He had misgivings about the party’s support to Mickky on the Portuguese passport issue, but it was water under the bridge as the two MLAs had patched up.Caitu recently visited Pacheco at Goa Medical College (GMC) when the latter went for a medical checkup. When asked if Pacheco’s run-in with the police and courts had tarnished his image, given they’re both from the same party, Caitu felt it did not reflect on him in any way. Moreover, Caitu batted for the beleaguered Pacheco. He said, “Mickky has been targeted by certain politicians. Things would have been different had it not been for the carelessness on the part of his legal advisors.” When pressed further on his future equation with Mickky, Caitu said he would like to stay away from Mickky and the party, but again blamed the GVP general secretary.Without naming Lyndon Monteiro, Caitu said, “The general secretary has always come between Mickky and me. When party decisions were taken, I was not called or informed.” He added that there were times when Mickky “got wild” or felt let down. In hindsight, it was because “the general secretary did not allow us to meet and talk.”When asked if he had been sidelined by the party to the extent that he was not called for party meetings, he said he had attended meetings, but felt he was only called when they needed him and not the other way round.“I will mostly go as independent if I have to leave the party. There is still a lot of time for that and I will decide at the right time,” said Caitu.Stating that he had not been approached by any regional party or those who plan on creating one, Caitu was disappointed that the BJP had not offered him any position in the government. He reiterated that he had never asked for any position since he got elected, and wondered how GVP, which is the party’s alliance partner, had its member Nelly Rodrigues as then South Goa Zilla Panchayat chairperson, Monteiro as the Goa Meat Complex chairman and Pacheco as the RDA minister.He lamented that he was not given the RDA ministry after Pacheco gave it up in view of his assault case, and since it was given to Pacheco as part of GVP’s support to the government.“There are some BJP ministers – not all and not the BJP government – but some BJP ministers who are hand-in-glove with an ex-minister from my constituency. I know of messages to government workers to delay my works. They think I don’t know, but I can see everything clearly,” said Caitu, adding, “They should know what Caitu is and what Caitu has done.”However, he said he was grateful to the government for sanctioning development works – the most in his constituency in its history. He pointed out that the electricity work, road work, Colva circuit tourism plan, and sewage work worth crores of rupees had been sanctioned and were underway.It is clear that Caitu feels undervalued by his government and party. Only time will tell who emerges triumphant in this imbroglio.
