OLD GOA
The protest of the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP), led by MLA Viresh Borkar, ultimately ended in the wee hours of Saturday after the intervention of Deputy Collector cum SDM Rajesh Azgaonkar, who assured that he would use his good office to direct the deputy town planner to provide the information sought by the MLA.
As MLA Borkar and the RGP members stayed put inside the Tiswadi deputy town planner’s office from 11 am on Friday, the Deputy Collector arrived and requested the MLA to call off the protest.
However, MLA Borkar and his party members refused to do so, insisting that any assurance should come directly from the deputy town planner, Ashok Kumar.
“I have been seeking the information for the past two years and have not been provided with it. The deputy town planner and the staff are not taking me seriously, which is why I have staged this protest,” Borkar informed the Deputy Collector.
SP Akshat Kaushal and SDPO Sudesh Naik also arrived and tried to convince MLA Borkar to call off the protest, but to no avail.
As Thursday turned into Friday, a large number of members from the RGP also descended on the Tiswadi TCP office, and at one point, it appeared that drastic action would be taken, including the arrest of MLA Borkar.
However, speaking to The Goan, Borkar remained firm that he wouldn’t leave the office until he received written assurance from the deputy town planner that he would be provided with the information on Monday.
Finally, at around 2 am, a breakthrough was achieved as Deputy Collector Azgaonkar assured the MLA that he would take up the issue with the North Goa collector and ask her to give directives to the deputy town planner to provide the information on Monday.
“If the information is not provided on Monday, then the MLA can continue his protest during office hours,” Azgaonkar informed.
Satisfied with the assurance, MLA Borkar then left the office along with the other RGP members, ending a 15-hour-long siege of the Tiswadi TCP office. Later, Borkar informed The Goan that he ended the protest solely based on the assurance of the Deputy Collector. “However, I will come on Monday, and if the information sought is not ready, then I will continue the protest,” he warned.
