THE GOAN NETWORK
PORVORIM: Stating that the nation's future depends on the results of these Lok Sabha elections, Congress candidate for North Goa Girish Chodankar said elections was a time for introspection.
“The BJP governments at the Centre and State have failed on all fronts and could not fulfill the assurances given to the electorate during the last general election,” said Chodankar, who is also the Congress party state president.
Addressing a meeting organised by the Saligao Block Congress Committee at Guirim, Chodankar said, “If the Congress party comes to power at the Centre, the party will try and repeal the sedition law being used by the present BJP government to harass people who speak against the government.”
“Secondly, the Congress will try to simplify GST and bring petrol and diesel within the ambit of GST. Also, an amount of Rs 72,000 per year will be deposited into the accounts of around 5 crore poor people and jobs will be provided to 22 lakh unemployed youth within a year,” Chodankar said.
“Fourthly, the youth who desire to venture into business activity will be allowed to start businesses without obtaining license from any authority and if he finds that his business earns profit after 3 years, he will have to complete the licensing formalities,” Chodankar added.
Chodankar also promised that the CRZ rules would be amended to provide full protection to traditional fisherman, adding that his party would strive to eradicate poverty by 2020.
Ponda MLA and former chief minister Ravi Naik said the Congress is a secular party and it does not believe in politics of caste and religion.
“It is wrong to say that Congress party is associated with dynastic politics. Congress leaders like Manmohan Singh and P V Narsimha Rao, who didn’t belong to the Nehru-Gandhi clan, became prime ministers during the Congress rule,” said Naik.
Former union law minister Ramakant Khalap said representatives for the Lok Sabha are elected to highlight problems of their states in parliament.
“But unfortunately, both north and south Goa MPs of BJP failed in their duties during the last 5 years. Hence, the time has come to retire them through the ballot,” he stated.
“The Congress has provided a dynamic candidate for the North Goa Lok Sabha seat who will certainly represent the voice of Goa and address the problems of the state in parliament,” said Khalap.
Former Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes, media convener Trajan D’Mello, Tulio D’Souza, Bholanath Ghadi and Yatish Naik also spoke on the occasion.
