Cuncolim: Congress’s India Bloc South Goa Lok Sabha candidate Captain Viriato Fernandes on Saturday said the upcoming Lok Sabha elections will be a second opinion poll to protect the interests of the state.
Addressing a meeting in Ambelim after garlanding the statue of former Leader of Opposition Dr Jack de Sequeira on his birth anniversary, Captain Wiriato said a lot of evils were affecting the people. The people of Goa had struggled to protect their identity but today Goa is seen as the drug capital, the rape capital, the unemployment capital and the murder capital. The time has come for the second opinion poll and we will consider May 7 as the second opinion poll to protect the state for future generations. Let us pledge to change the identity of Goa and end corruption and the sinister designs of the government to protect Goa.”
Addressing another meeting in Chinchinim, Captain Wiriato slammed the government for its failure to guarantee the promise of depositing Rs 15 lakh in every voter’s account, creating two crore jobs per year and bringing in black money stashed in Swiss banks. Took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ,
Captain Wiriato said that “After demonetization, the Modi government sanctioned loans to Adani who bought coal mines in Queensland and it is the same coal that is brought to Goa that is destroying the tourism state. “Is this black? There is money (coal) that you promised the people of Goa,” he asked, adding that this has led to increase in electricity tariffs.
Captain Wiriato said the government also failed to withdraw the revised DPR submitted by Karnataka and approved by the Central Water Commission. Diversion of water from the deficit river basin Mhadei River is causing water shortage in the state.
He demanded that the Act to de-notify six rivers of Goa should be amended as well as the Major Ports Authorities Bill should be amended and the entire Goa coastline should be returned to the people of Goa.
He informed the fishermen community about the Centre’s plan to take away 105 km of Goa’s coastline, which would later impact the fishermen community. He said that due to the initiative of former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi to protect the interests of the fishermen community, the CRZ notification was finally implemented in 1991.
Opposition leader Yuri Alemao, Velim MLA Cruz Silva and Quepem MLA Altona D’Costa also spoke.
