Aam Aadmi Party today termed the assembly session to be total farce which was held for the personal benefit of the MLAs and not in the interest of the people as no substantial issues over which Goans in every nook and corner are agitating were discussed.
AAP leader Valmiki Naik pointed out that the Assembly did not discuss the people’s protest against double tracking or road widening or the Goa Tamnar Transmission project or even the land issue faced by tenants all over Goa.
“All that we witnessed is the government introducing the Lokayukta Bill which is aimed at diluting the institution which till today has functioned as a watch dog and the Environment Minister having the audacity to assert that the linear project do not need environment clearance,” he said.
Valmiki pointed out that the previous Lok Ayukta Justice P K Mishra had the courage to stand up to the BJP government in Goa and even publicly said that Michael Lobo does not deserve to be a minister and it is to avoid such embarrassment that the government is now amending the Act to appoint a mere judge of a High Court as Lok Ayukta as against the original provision to appoint only a Supreme Court judge of a Chief Justice of a High Court to that position.
He said that chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant’s intention to make Goa a coal hub was totally exposed when he justified the double tracking of the railway track to be for defense purpose.
Valmiki alleged that the short session was held to ensure that the MLAs get paid for attending it and it helps them to show their continuance as MLAs so that they get the fat pension after their term is over.
He also pointed out that Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo has suddenly started attacking late Manohar Parrikar and accused him of bringing in Goa Miles without consulting anybody and argued that the BJP has a habit of attacking dead persons.
“First they accused late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru for everything and anything and now they are attacking their own leaders like Manohar Parrikar only because the person attacked is not able to refute the charges as he is dead,” said Valmiki.
He added that attacking dead persons knowing that they cannot refute the charges is a calculated move by the BJP to hide their incompetency and wrong governance from the people.
