VASCO: Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) State President and former minister Jose Philip D’Souza on Monday said the government was not doing any favours by compensating the families of those who died in the stampede at the recent Lairai Jatra.
Addressing a press conference, D’Souza said, “The government may compensate the victims’ families, but that does not mean it is doing them a favour. People lost their lives due to lapses by government agencies. No amount of compensation can bring back the dead or do justice to the pain their families are going through.”
Calling the incident an eye-opener, D’Souza said, “The government must be blamed for all the lapses that led to the stampede and the resulting deaths — the first such tragedy during a Zatra in the history of Goa.”
He added that simply suspending a few officers was not enough and accused the government of trying to avoid responsibility.
“People need accountability. We want to know how prepared the government was,” he said.
D’Souza stressed that the government always wakes up only after a tragedy, and this incident should serve as a warning to take proper steps and preventive measures in the future.
He also appealed to the public to remain cautious during overcrowded events.
