PANAJI
Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday accused the government of resorting to lies and deception to extract money from the poor and downtrodden people of Goa and pointed to the failure to provide the much-touted bio-toilets as an example of political chicanery resorted to by the BJP.
"It is indeed scandalous that Goa has been declared open defecation free last year even though there are thousands of people all over Goa who go out in the open for defecation," said AAP spokesperson Sandesh Telekar.
He pointed out that more than 150 households in four villages of Sanguem taluka do not have toilets.
He lamented that the government asked people to pay for bio-toilets which have not been delivered even after one year and pointed out that the open defecation free title was obtained based on the applications made for the bio-toilets.
"In reality, Goa is not open defecation free," he said adding that it is free only in the chief minister's mind.
Sandesh disclosed that sarpanchas were forced to declare their village to be open defecation free by providing a few mobile toilets for a few days and lamented that these toilets have since been removed and taken away.
"These mobile toilets were placed at few places and people had to walk 7 km to use them," he said.
"The common man paid Rs 5,000 for the bio-toilet while OBC paid Rs 2,500 and ST paid Rs 1,500 and till date, they are forced to go out in the open. These poor people are making innumerable trips to the panchayat to check when the toilets will come but are getting no answers," he said.
Panchayat members are also getting agitated as the people from their wards who had paid the amount for the bio-toilets are harassing them and some have to even bear with foul language as people are accusing them of syphoning their hard-earned money.
"Besides the amount paid for the toilet, people had to spend Rs 500 extra for the stamp paper and other formalities needed to apply for the bio-toilet. The government has sufficient funds to advertise about Swachh Bharat and people are waiting for their toilets even after making payments, what an irony," Telekar pointed out, adding that it is indeed deplorable that the cash-starved BJP government has to extort money from the poor and downtrodden people by telling them lies.
