MARGAO
Promising that the Trinamool Congress would provide formalin-free fish to fish-loving Goans once the party comes to power in the ensuing polls, TMC MLA Churchill Alemao on Monday said the party will set up a fish-testing laboratory and liberate the wholesale fish market from outsiders and hand over the same to Goan fishermen.
He also dared Opposition leader Digambar Kamat, fish trader M Ibrahim and BJP-turned-Congress leader Michael Lobo to defeat him in Benaulim with their money power, exuding confidence that the people of Benaulim constituency will ensure his victory in the coming polls.
Churchill also demanded that the government should take the ground reality into account while finalizing the coastal plan, saying traditional communities including the fishermen are getting displaced with the cadastral plan, not in any way benefitting these families.
Addressing the media, Churchill said those who were involved in selling fish laced with formalin have gone scot-free, while the honest Goan FDA officer Iva Fernandes has been punished by the department for exposing formalin.
“Goans in general and the people of Benaulim constituency will always remain indebted to Iva Fernandes, who is a daughter of Benaulim constituency, for having exposed the sale of fish-laced with formalin in the wholesale fish market”, he said.
Saying that fish trader M Ibrahim have been
moving around in Benaulim constituency to defeat him in the husting, Churchill challenged Digambar Kamat and Michael Lobo to pump in money, expressing confidence that they will not be able to buy the people of Benaulim.
“When I had raised the issue of formalin in the House and outside and demanded a ban on outside fish from coming into Goa, some of the traders had then vowed to teach me a lesson in the election. I will not be cowed down by such threats. Let them put all their money and energy to defeat me, but I will always raise my voice against the use of formalin to preserve fish coming from outside”, he said.
