MARGAO
The Goa Forward Party kicked up its mission Cuncolim on Wednesday by holding a review meeting with government officials, even as the gathering was viewed as “controversial” as officials of as many as three departments attended it.
The meeting was chaired by party leaders to take up development works in the constituency represented by Congress MLA Clafacio Dias.
Goa Forward Party leader Durgadas Kamat was quick to set at rest any row, saying the officials had attended the meeting on instructions of Agriculture Minister and party supremo Vijai Sardesai.
Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias was not available for comment as he has reportedly gone out of station.
The review meeting is expected to further intensify the battle for Cuncolim between the incumbent MLA and his challengers, the Yuri-Joaquim combine.
“The GFP has not done anything wrong by calling for a review meeting with officials representing the Agriculture, RDA and Water Resources departments. All these officials have attended the meeting as per the instructions of the respective ministers. I do not see any wrong done by the party,” Durgadas said, when questioned whether government officials can attend a meeting of the party leaders to review development projects.
That’s not all. He pointed out that GFP supremo Vijai Sardesai had handed out various promises to the people of Cuncolim when the party established its unit in the constituency. The review meeting was only aimed at taking forward the decisions taken by the party in Cuncolim, Durgadas added.
He said the party’s Cuncolim face Yuri Alemao and he conducted the review meeting with government officials in the presence of Joaquim Alemao regarding development works proposed in Cuncolim. “Detailed discussion was carried out with each of the departments like RDA, Water Resource and Agriculture,” he said.
While requesting the officers to fast track the developmental works to be carried out in Cuncolim constituency, Yuri further said he would surely fast track the works to take Cuncolim Forward with the assistance of GFP chief Vijai Sardesai.
Yuri further said that there are lot of issues which are pending in various departments and these are not in Goa Forward’s domain. But these too would also be fast tracked once GFP opens its office in the second week of October 2018, he mentioned.
Durgadas, on the other hand, said that party supremo Vijai Sardesai is personally monitoring the developmental works which need to be carried out in Cuncolim constituency. “Vijai is conducting weekly reviews of works to be undertaken in Cuncolim. Our party president has told us to keep him informed if they come across any bottlenecks in carrying out evelopmental works in Cuncolim,” Durgadas said, while assuring that GFP will honour the word given to the citizens of Cuncolim constituency.
