PANAJI: Confirming that no government decision had been taken to change the name of port town from Vasco da Gama to Sambhaji, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said certain people were picking up an issue ahead of the elections in 2017.
Speaking on the side lines of an event, Parsekar said there was no government notification announcing the change. “The government has not taken any decision in this regard. There is no need for a withdrawal because there never was an official notification. It had just been printed,” he said.
He also added that, “the year of the elections is close by and there are people who will pick on small things to make them big issues. The government has not taken any decision to change Vasco da Gama to Sambhajinagar. There was no discussion or decision on this but everyone is screaming of intolerance.”
Meanwhile Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Vinay Tendulkar too voiced the CM’s statement saying Vasco would remain the same but asked the government to conduct an inquiry into the mix-up.
“We request the government to conduct an inquiry and to take action if someone is found to have deliberately attempted it. Khariwada is an illiterate belt of Vasco. So, it is possible that some agents filled the forms for the citizens,” said Tendulkar.
He further linked it with the fact that till 1970, Vasco railway station was referred to as 'Sambhajinagar station'.
Angry residents in the port town raised the issue of ration cards with the address listed as Sambhaji rather than Vasco da Gama, earlier this week. Many were furious as all their other documents including the Aadhar and voter cards had Vasco da Gama as their residence.
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ON PROBE INTO FUNDING
OF GOA FOUNDATION
* Government intends to probe funding of Goa Foundation which has challenged the renewal of 88 mining leases
* He said demands (for probe) have to be duly looked into by the administration. The inquiry will go ahead
* The Chief Minister said mining would move ahead in the interest of the state and people of Goa
>> See pg 3
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SAMBHAJI IMBROGLIO
* POLITICOS, RESIDENTS
TO UP THE ANTE
* CLARIFICATION SOUGHT
FROM CIVIL SUPPLIES
>> See pg 2
