Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Congress senior leader Girish Chodankar on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the BJP government, alleging that its ministers are more interested in securing “healthy and wealthy” portfolios than working for the welfare of the people.
Referring to reports of Sports, Art & Culture and Tribal Welfare Minister Ramesh Tawadkar’s dissatisfaction with his current departments due to lack of funds, Chodankar said the BJP’s so-called “Mission Commission” stands exposed.
“Tawadkar has apparently said in the party meeting that his portfolios don’t have dum (strength), but what he actually meant is they don’t have daam (money),” Chodankar remarked. “Do ministers want portfolios to serve the people, or to make money?”
The AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry argued that Tawadkar could still make a meaningful impact by using the Sports and Art & Culture departments to empower youth, and the Tribal Welfare portfolio for the upliftment of ST communities. “Instead, he seems to prefer only those portfolios that are financially strong. He should focus on making his departments ‘Revenue Swayampurna’ rather than ‘Commission Purna’,” Chodankar added.
The Congress leader further claimed that Tawadkar has even threatened to resign if not given a “strong” portfolio, and taunted the Chief Minister with a Konkani proverb: ‘The king has taken away even the beggar’s last morsel’.
Pointing to the controversy over Kala Akademi, Chodankar alleged that the BJP government had “looted” funds in its refurbishment. “I agree with Tawadkar that these departments are bankrupt, and that may be only because the BJP government has looted them,” he said.
