Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: Aam Aadmi Party has castigated the BJP Govt for demolishing the kiosks outside GMC in Bambolim. AAP leaders Valmiki Naik, Cecille Rodrigues, Vighnesh Apte, Dr Vibhas Prabhudesai and Ritesh Shenai rushed to the chaotic scene where the demolition reportedly started in the dark hours around 4.00 am.
Naik questioned the necessity for carrying out this action suddenly and that too under the cover of darkness.
“There had been assurances given by the local MLAs just two days ago that nothing would be demolished until there was a rehabilitation plan. So who decided to remove the stalls in the dead of the night? Why did the Govt cheat the people under the cover of darkness? This Govt itself was formed illegitimately in the middle of the night, and like robbers, they carry out such operations in the middle of the night too”, Naik alleged.
Rodrigues slammed CM Pramod Sawant for destroying the livelihoods of the locals who had already suffered huge economic distress due to the pandemic over the past year.
“Most of the women working here are from ST and OBC communities. They have been operating small kiosks like this for deadens, and for most, these stalls were the sole source of income, This is a shocking act by the Sawant Govt which claims to be of the Bahujan samaj, but finds every opportunity to deprive them of even a basic honest living”, Rodrigues said, speaking alongside some of the vendors who were in tears.
Apte said that everyone knows why all the facilities in GMC from pharmacy to canteen to oxygen to supplies have all been given to vendors favoured by Health Minister Vishwajit Rane without any process.
“This act of demolishing the kiosks will hurt not only the vendors but also the patients and relatives who depended on these cheap sources of food and snacks and will now have to buy expensive food from the GMC canteen”, Apte alleged.
Naik said that the party would stand by the common man, and follow this issue until the vendors are rehabilitated nearby and also until the relatives of the patients have various options to procure their food and are not forced to buy expensive food from the GMC canteen.
