BY A GT REPORTER
MARGAO, April 20, 2009: Unfazed by the threat of the Alemaos to the Digambar-led government in the state a day earlier, Tourism Minister Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco yesterday threw his might behind the Chief Minister challenging his bitter rivals, the two brothers -- PWD Minister Churchill and Urban Development Minister Joaquim to topple, which he said was impossible even if they quit the cabinet.
Assuring full support to Digambar Kamat in case the Alemaos played dirty, Mickky reminded the people of his weight and how he had quit the BJP government within 24 hours of joining the party to dislodge the government from power.
Mickky was addressing a public meeting held near the Betalbatim church yesterday evening.
Venting out his spleen against the Alemaos, the Benaulim NCP MLA drew attention to the vexed taxi issue that the Alemaos had accused the tourism minister of being incapable of solving and alleged that one of the MLA’s brother had eight tourist buses. How would they support the taxi drivers and solve this issue? He asked.
Defending himself, he stated that he had many meetings along with the tour operators and private tourist taxi operators who were presently angry with him so as to solve the woes of the latter but claimed that they were being instigated by certain elements.
The tourism minister urged Sardinha to immediately intervene in the matter since the issue came under the central government Act, besides Goa being a tourist state it was of major concern to the people.
Interestingly, Mickky gave credit to himself for drawing large crowd at yesterday’s meeting as Sardinha had failed to visit the people and pleaded that the MP visit them on a regular basis be it annually and requested that the local issues such as the CRZ issue that was affecting their livelihood be taken on an urgent basis.
The Benaulim NCP MLA took the opportunity to highlight the achievements of the UPA government of which the NCP is a partner and praised his NCP leaders whilst also seeking that clarification be issued concerning the Benaulim Congress block that had not been constituted with the present members seen supporting the opposition parties like the UGDP and BJP and were criticising him (Mickky).
He condemned the UGDP demand for “Special Status” by attacking the UGDP vice-president Adv Radharao Gracias.
Expressing confidence that Sardinha would obtain a lead of not less than 7,000-odd votes in this constituency despite a probable low turnout of voters, Kamat, too, flayed the regional party and termed it a ‘mushroom’ that sprouts during the monsoons for emerging during the present elections.
He alleged that the UGDP candidate Matanhy Saldanha who could not look after his Cortalim constituency, would not be able to look after the state.
Speaking about the BJP, the CM claimed that the people were aware of the heaps of atrocities being committed on Christians in Orissa forcing them to flee to the hilly areas as well as what occurred at Mangalore in Karnataka. He said that he had urged Sardinha to commence the first project of the MPLAD Rs 2 crores sanctioned in Benaulim as the Congress had obtained a lead in the previous polls.
Assuring to fulfill the wishes of the people such as the CRZ issue and the taxi problem that he would examine, Sardinha expressed his regret that he could not visit ‘a few places’ but promised to do so.
Earlier, the GPCC president Subhash Shirodkar blamed the Mapusa BJP MLA Francis D’Souza for raising the CRZ issue in the state assembly that forced the courts to take suo moto cognisance of the matter and convert into a special petition that was later heard directing all the panchayats to issue demolition notices to the structures.
Also present were the GPCC general secretary Altinho Gomes, Colva ZP member Nelly Rodrigues and other local sarpanchas, panchas, etc.
