PANAJI
Revenue Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate on Friday blamed the chaotic traffic situation around the capital city's off-shore casino jetties on "inefficient" traffic police.
"It is not our job. It is the job of the traffic police. You should please ask the DG (Director General of Police)," Monserrate shot back to a query from a journalist whether he as the MLA representing Panaji is working on solutions to the traffic chaos there.
"You ask him why it has still not been handled," Monserrate said during the on-camera interview at his ministerial chamber.
"This is inefficiency as far as the traffic police is concerned. I have been saying this right from day one," Monserrate said of the continuing traffic chaos.
The congestion caused by the enormous amount of vehicle movement around the casino offices in Panaji has been a sore political point for Monserrate ever since he had made "shifting" the casinos out of the capital city in 100 days his main campaign plank in the 2019 by-election necessitated by the death of former chief minister Manohar Parrikar.
The by-election was the first time Monserrate had won the Panaji seat after a previous unsuccessful attempt in the 2017 general election. His failure on the election promise has earned him criticism from political opponents and citizens ever since.
Meanwhile commenting on Wednesday's political developments wherein eight Congress MLAs joined the BJP, Monserrate said he welcomes it.
"We welcome the decision taken by the High Command and Chief Minisiter Pramod Sawant," Monserrate said and sought to dismiss reports that it had triggered dissent among cabinet members owing to the possibility of some of them being dropped to accommodate the new entrants.
"Nothing is permanent. I cannot be of the view that this chair belongs to me only," Monserrate said referring to the political developments.
