MARGAO
Is Goa Forward party supremo Vijai Sardesai walking a tightrope at the moment over the demands made by party workers from Siolim to strip Durgadas Kamat as the Fisheries Minister Vinoda Paliencar's Officer on Special Duty (OSD)?
The TCP Minister said it's not exactly doing a tightrope walking, but has been quick to say that the party leadership cannot ignore the sentiments of the party rank and file over the demand to strip Durgadas Kamat as Paliencar's OSD, but Sardesai appears not in a hurry to take a call, especially ahead of the Opinion Poll day celebration.
The Goa Forward had a meeting of party leaders and workers at Sardesai's residence on Thursday evening, which was attended by party leaders, including Vinoda Paliencar and Durgadas Kamat. Sardesai claimed that the meeting was called to discuss the Opinion Poll day celebration with a call to the party leaders to spread awareness amongst the people.
"The Vinoda Paliencar-Durgadas Kamat issue did not figure at the meeting," he said, but hastened to drop clear hints that the party will soon take a call on the demands raised by the Siolim workers.
"Appointing an OSD is the prerogative of a minister. The party will not interfere in who should be the OSD of a minister. At the same time, the party cannot sit quite and ignore the sentiments of the party rank and file in the interest of the party," Sardesai said.
He recalled that the Goa Forward had drafted Durgadas Kamat to Siolim to streamline the election campaign of Vinoda Paliencar, adding that "it's indeed a time for introspection what went wrong between the Minister, OSD and the party workers from Siolim".
Vijai introspects harassment by RTO officials to motorists
MARGAO : Alleged harassment meted out by RTO officials to motorists along the district court-Ravindra Bhavan road, outside the SGPDA market caught the attention of the TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai on Thursday.
While it has been a common refrain from motorists and citizens shopping at the SGPDA mega retail market that the RTO officers mete out harassment to the travelling public, the TCP Minister saw for himself how a RTO officer was found in the act of stopping a lady two-wheeler at the junction.
Moved by the episode, the TCP Minister, who was around the same time inspecting the ongoing work of the Opinion Poll Square, called the RTO officer and demanding to know why they are always camping at the junction as he has been flooded by complaints of harassment at the hands of the RTO. Sardesai made it clear to the RTO officers that they should not camp at the junction given the number of complaints his office has received from members of the public.
While the officer insisted that they have been deployed at the spot by the Road Transport Director, the minister made it clear that it is their look out to explain to the Director why they should not camp at the junction.
Complaints are galore that while the RTO officials with a jeep go about challanning two-wheelers for violating the motor vehicles rules, sources said the RTO officers are hardly seen around the congested roads to regulate traffic and bringing erring transport operations right under their nose. Questions are asked why the RTO officers do not camp at the Goa Guest House near the Margao flyover which witness serpentine queues of vehicles for want of regulation and enforcement by the RTO.
Opinion Poll Square: Work along stretch of road at brisk pace
MARGAO: Even as the Margao Municipal Council moved with alacrity to adopt a resolution naming the Colva Circle-Ravindra Bhavan road as the Opinion Poll Square, work along the stretch of road was found executed at a brisk pace with just five days left for the celebration of the golden jubilee of the historic Opinion Poll.
At the adjoining Ravindra Bhavan, painters were seen working overtime to spruce up the institution which will play host to the official Opinion Poll day function to be attended by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai, stalwarts of Opinion Poll and their relatives.
Work on the erection and installation of the heritage lamps along the square has not begun yet, but the consultant has assured TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai that the lamps, each costing Rs 60,000 will be in place by January 16.
Government agencies besides the Ravindra Bhavan are all working round the clock to put the square in place. The Chief Minister is expected to unveil the Opinion Poll plaque on January 16 morning.
"For the next four days, I will personally monitor the ongoing work. It is a great day for all Goans. I appeal to all the people to come and attend the function and pay a befitting tribute to the heroes of the Opinion Poll," Sardesai said.
