LOBO KO GUSSA
KYON AATA HAI
>> Due to Government apathy unemployment is rising, says Lobo >> There are around 3,000 government jobs but nothing is done to fill these posts
>> Mining issue is pending and overall it seems that Government has lost the way
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MAPUSA/PANAJI: Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo on Friday re-stirred Goa's political cauldron with a no-holds-barred verbal attack on his one-time mentor and Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar saying he is sitting on files related to recruitment in government departments and had done nothing to arrest the growing joblessness among Goa's youth since taking over in March 2017.
Lobo, in his first public comments since being snubbed and overlooked by Parrikar in the September 24 cabinet reshuffle, hit out at Parrikar and his coalition government at a press conference he addressed at his Calangute office. He also wrote a letter to the Chief Minister in which he advised him to put a minister in-charge so that the recruitment process can be kick-started and Goan youth get jobs instead of sitting on the files.
Due to Government apathy unemployment is rising, Lobo said, adding that there are around 3,000 government jobs but nothing is done to fill these posts.
Lobo's public outburst, coming as it does at a time when the coalition government is tottering both politically and administratively in the face of the absence of Parrikar who is confined to the AIIMS in Delhi, could cause immense discomfort to the BJP specially with Lok Sabha polls fast approaching.
Apart from being critical of the government on the development front as well as jobs scenario, Lobo also painted a gloomy political picture saying that a mid-term poll appears to be very likely.
"The mining issue is pending and overall it seems that Government has lost the way," Lobo alleged. Lobo recalled that government recruitment had been banned in 2016 by then CM Laximikant Parsekar and added that Parrikar has done nothing to undo this ban.
Youth are frustrated due to the joblessness both in government as well as private sector, Lobo said, adding some private entrepreneurs, including himself, were the only source of employment.
"I myself have given jobs to some 500 youth," Lobo claimed.
In his letter to Parrikar, meanwhile, the Deputy Speaker recalled his budget presented in 2017 in which he had assured to create jobs in Government and private sector, but pointed out that nothing was done till date.
Lobo also cited in his letter the recent fiasco in which thousands of candidates who had appeared in the Accountants' recruitment exam were all declared 'failed' and expressed the view that those who assessed the answer papers had deliberately given low scores "at the behest of someone".
"There is no doubt that during the last few years, under your leadership, Goa has progressed tremendously in all fields, but at the same time, development will have no meaning if the youth of Goa do not benefit," Lobo added in his letter to Parrikar.
Continuing to train his guns at Parrikar during his press conference Lobo went on to add: "The CM and the government are going in the wrong direction. CM is not in a state to understand certain things."
Lobo also appealed to ministers in the cabinet to go to Delhi and convey to Parrikar the ground reality as people are getting frustrated and public anger may explode any time.
Lobo said there is "no positivity" about the Chief Minister's health condition. Parrikar, who was suddenly diagnosed with a serious pancreatic ailment in February last, has taken treatment at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York, at Leelavati Hospital in Mumbai and is now undergoing treatment at AIIMS where he was taken in mid-September.
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NO POSITIVITY ABOUT
CM'S HEALTH: LOBO
Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo on Friday did what no one in the political arena has done thus far - comment negatively on Parrikar's health and progress at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Lobo, considered a blue-eyed boy of Parrikar in politics, spoke to media-persons at Azad Maidan where he had gone to show support to the agitating mining dependents and said: "He can hear less, it seems now... We all are praying that he comes out of his sickness. But till today (Friday), there is no positivity about his coming out."
His long stints of physical absence from Goa has earned the party and the government severe criticism from the Opposition and civil society as well.
Nevertheless the BJP leadership as well as leaders of coalition partners had never once commented negatively about Parrikar's health, always maintaining that his health is improving.
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Vijai does not foresee snap polls,
expects ministerial post for Lobo
MARGAO: Saying that he does not agree with the prediction made by deputy Speaker Michael Lobo that Goa is heading towards mid-term polls, Leader of the key alliance partner, and TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai on Friday said he is of the firm belief that Lobo will become a Minister in this present term and under the present ruling dispensation.
While saying that he do not want to dish out any further information on his comment how Lobo will become a Minister in the Manohar Parrikar government, the TCP Minister said one can confirm with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar what he says is wrong.
Sardesai’s comments assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of reports that Michael had called him from abroad when he was not considered for induction in the Cabinet. Sources said that Michael had a word with the TCP Minister soon after returning home and was scheduled to meet Sardesai to discuss about the political developments.
“I do not agree with Michael’s prediction of a mid-term poll. The BJP leadership at both Delhi and in Goa have assured me that there would be mid-term election in Goa”, Sardesai asserted.
While sympathizing with Michael, the Goa Forward supremo, however, asserted that the Calangute MLA will become a Minister in the present dispensation and in the current term itself “I do not want to say how Michael Lobo will become a Minister, but I am sure that he would become a Minister. Michael’s feeling that he has not been considered for the Ministerial berth is wrong. All I can say is that he would become a Minister in the present dispensation”, Sardesai asserted.
In fact, the TCP Minister went on to say that Michael deserves to be in the Cabinet, adding “like the mining affecting people, Michael is one politician, who is politics affected person”.
Sardesai, however, begged to differ on Michael’s comments that Goa is heading for a mid-term poll, saying the BJP leadership has categorically told the alliance partners that there’s no question of Goa going for a mid-term election.
