the goan I network
MARGAO
Terming the move by the health officials to quarantine him as political in order to prevent him from addressing Zilla Panchayat meetings, former Minister Mickky Pachecho, however, said that he would subject himself for medical examination on Thursday as a responsible citizen.
Mickky was travelling on the Dubai flight which had a woman patient who tested positive for the coronavirus in Bengaluru.
He claimed the government wanted to stop him from addressing scheduled meetings in the constituencies of Loutolim, Nuvem, Colva and Benaulim before the curtain comes down on the Zilla Panchayat election campaign. Mickky has extended his support to Congress candidates in Benaulim, Colva, Nuvem and Raia.
”I was at my residence on Wednesday afternoon with my family when suddenly health doctors came in an ambulance and told me that I should get quarantined in view of the Bengaluru case. I only requested them to give me the name of the lady passenger from Bengaluru who has been tested positive since I had the list of the passengers who travelled by the Air India flight on March 9,” Mickky said.
Mickky pointed out that he tried calling the Health Minister Vishwajit Rane to explain to him the situation, but there was no response, only making him believe that the entire episode was political. “Why did the Health Minister not reply to my calls and why he did not call me back. These are questions that need answers”, he added.
After the health team left his residence, Mickky claimed that police jeeps made rounds around his Betalbatim residence, adding that a police jeep was found parked at Loutolim where he was scheduled to address a Zilla Panchayat election meeting.
The former minister said South Goa District Collector Ajit Roy and Additional Collector, South Agnelo Fernandes also spoke to him on the issue at around 4 pm. “I have all the details of the flight and the names of the passengers travelling by that flight, but they simply could not provide me the name of the passenger who had tested positive,” he added.
The former minister, however, said that he would subject himself to a medical check-up at the designated place on Thursday. “I had come down to Goa on March 9. Till date, I don’t have any of the symptoms. Still, I will subject myself for a medical check-up at the designated place,” Mickky added.
