VASCO
South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes on Friday raised concerns over a delay in Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservations and other issues, on his arrival from Delhi on Friday evening,
Interacting with reporters at Dabolim Airport, Fernandes recalled that the Congress had placed the demand for ST community rights on August 2 last year, in line with its manifesto.
“This community are the original Goans who have been taking care of the hills, farmlands, rivers and the entire Goa, but they have been subjected to injustice by not giving them their rights. The Lok Sabha introduced the bill on May 5 and it has been passed, but it has not yet been introduced in the Rajya Sabha. We are wondering if the ST community will get their due reservation in the 2027 elections, and we have demanded that the reservation be given immediately,” he said.
On the Bhoma bypass issue, Fernandes said he had urged Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to protect local heritage.
“Bhoma has four temples and two water bodies, and I have refused to give up on the issue. The government can build a flyover or an underpass, but there must be a buffer zone. No construction should be allowed near the temples,” he stressed.
Fernandes also alleged large-scale bogus voting in various constituencies, claiming the Election Commission had failed to provide soft copies of electoral rolls.
“Our leader Rahul Gandhi formed a big team and worked for six months to check every page. We found over one lakh fake votes in central Bangalore, some people voting five times, and one house showing 80 voters. Now, the Election Commission has taken down certain websites, which shows their fear,” he alleged.
The MP further called for a dedicated Goa postal service.
“Goa post comes under the Maharashtra circle, which results in candidates from Maharashtra becoming postmen here without knowing our local language. We have demanded a separate Goa postal service with a Goan director so that Goans can get these jobs and serve the community effectively,” Fernandes said.
