A view of the corroded iron rods of the culvert at Agalli-Fatorda. Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
The political temperature seemed rising in Fatorda by the day with the Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai on Saturday accusing arch political rival and BJP State Chief Damu Naik for stopping work on a culvert at Agalli-Fatorda.
He said the work on the repair of the culvert was taken up since the structure was in bad shape with iron rods visible to the naked eye. Sardesai, however, said that the PWD has stopped work on the project due to pressure from the BJP State Chief on PWD Minister Digambar Kamat.
“I do not understand the logic behind stopping work on the culvert by the BJP State Chief when the party is talking about Viksit Bharat and Swayampura Goem. If the culvert caves in, the BJP president will be quick to point out the failure of the Fatorda MLA. But, when we take up the work, he has put spokes in the execution of the project”, Sardesai alleged.
Meanwhile, members of the Goa Forward party, including former Margao Municipal Councillors have slammed the PWD for stopping work on the repair of the culvert, saying the Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai had taken up the project since the culvert was posing danger to motorists and pedestrains.
GFP eyeing more than
six seats from Cong
On alliance deal, as the Congress and Goa Forward party are set to resume talks on Sunday how to go about the upcoming Assembly election, Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai on Saturday said the Congress is willing to concede more than six seats to the regional party to contest the upcoming Assembly election.
Referring to media reports that the Congress will concede six seats to the Goa Forward party as part of an alliance deal between the two parties, Sardesai shot back “I do not know from where the opposition has got the figure of six seats. Because, my information suggests that the Congress is willing to concede to the regional party more than six seats”.
The Goa Forward Chief further said he would alone go for discussions with the Congress delegation when the two parties meet on Sunday in Panaji. “Let us wait and see what comes out of the meeting. I will brief the media about the outcome of the meeting”, he said.
