MARGAO
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was the cynosure of all eyes on Wednesday noon when he held his public grievances darbar at the South district BJP office at a time when the Municipal election code of conduct is in force.
The Chief Minister descended at the party office located in the jurisdiction of Margao Municipal Council, going to the polls on March 20, as people came to see him for jobs, with call letters, bio-data et al, besides redressal of other grievances.
The Chief Minister, however, seemed to beat the code of conduct in his own way, as he told the media that his public grievances programme has been shifted from the South district Collectorate to the BJP office in view of the Municipal election code in force.
And, he announced a similar programme in North Goa at the Mapusa party office on Thursday, saying his exercise was to clear pending appointments which were fixed some 7-8 months, but could not take place amid the intervening COVID-19 pandemic.
While the Chief Minister dealt with issues, ranging from jobs to other administrative matters at the BJP district office, he sent a message loud and clear to the Opposition before leaving, that the opposition parties will not succeed in the Municipal polls, exuding confidence that the people will give a clear mandate for the BJP.
“Today, I have come to hear public grievances since there were so many appointments pending. But, since the code has come into force, I have shifted my program from the Collectorate to the BJP Office. Tomorrow, I will be in Mapusa. Today, I have heard public grievances sans officials because of the code”, the Chief Minister told the media.
During his interaction in the presence of party leaders and workers from Margao and Fatorda, the Chief Minister interacted with a delegation of Sanguem traders led by former MLA Subhash Faldesai to discuss the rent issue in respect of the Municipal property. And, he entertained a delegation led by Nuvem MLA Wilfred D’Sa in connection with a wetland issue.
The Chief Minister also discussed issues pertaining to employment, health, agriculture et al with the participants. And, during the media interaction, the Chief Minister said many people inquired about jobs, but the employment process will get underway after the election. “Job advertisements have started appearing in the press. Around 1,500 jobs are presently up for grabs, and the total number of vacant jobs are pegged around 10,000,” he said.
When the media drew his attention to the opposition parties move to come together in the ensuing polls, the Chief Minister exuded his confidence in winning the coming election. “The way my government is working for the people and taking the governance to the people, I am confident people will support and elect the BJP-backed candidates,” he said.
