AERIAL VIEW
This time he is “elected”. Notwithstanding the political drama after the results wherein the names of several BJP leaders like Vishwajit Rane and Rajendra Arlekar were being discussed, Sawant this time was selected by the people as the BJP fought the elections under his leadership.
He has proved his mettle and became the only second leader after late Manohar Parrikar to win 20 seats and above for the BJP. In fact, the BJP has reached 20 figures for the second time after Parrikar’s feat in 2012.
Dr. Sawant will have to take more people-centric decisions, unlike the last time.
Sawant has done his job for the party, and now is his turn to look after the issues of Goans.
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
On Monday, Dr. Pramod Sawant will take oath as the Chief Minister of Goa for the second time. For Sawant, this oath has more significance as he is the “elected” Chief Minister of Goa now; last time around in 2019, he was the “selected.” CM of Goa as BJP top brass had nominated him for the post after Manohar Parrikar’s demise.
This time he is “elected”. Notwithstanding the political drama after the results wherein the names of several BJP leaders like Vishwajit Rane and Rajendra Arlekar were being discussed, Sawant this time was selected by the people as the BJP fought the elections under his leadership.
He has proved his mettle and became the only second leader after late Manohar Parrikar to win 20 seats and above for the BJP. In fact, the BJP has reached 20 figures for the second time after Parrikar’s feat in 2012.
Dr. Sawant will have to take more people-centric decisions, unlike the last time.
Sawant has done his job for the party, and now is his turn to look after the issues of Goans.
The BJP government at the center has once burdened the common man with the hike in fuel and LPG prices.
It should be Pramod Sawant’s priority to give a respite to the common man.
Last week despite being the caretaker CM, he announced that The Kashmir Files movie would be made tax-free in Goa after a demand from the right-wing organizations.
Now the common man is burdened, and it would be interesting to see if the caretaker CM takes a critical decision and reduces VAT on petrol and diesel.
We need to also recall the CM that his party had promised three free cylinders for every household. Hopefully, he and his party has not forgotten the same, and some respite is given to the citizens.
After tackling the fuel issue, Sawant has various other issues at hand to tackle like employment, revenue generation, Mhadei, and mining.
The CM has promised the mining dependents that the mining operations would begin soon, and that should be the first issue after fuel he has to tackle.
Thousands of people have become unemployed after the shutting of mining operations since 2018.
Either auction or otherwise, he has to see that the mining operations resume at the earliest, which will also help in revenue generation for the State in the form of royalty.
The third issue is employment. The Chief Minister announced 10,000 jobs and also advertised many, but his own ministers and MLAs were involved in the recruitment racket. Sawant’s own MLA, Babush Monseratte, blew the lid on recruitment scams in PWD and the Health Department. Following which you had stopped the recruitment process.
After swearing in, please advertise the remaining jobs, investigate those involved in recruitment scams, and punish them. But please restart the recruitment process.
Mr. Sawant, irrespective of party affiliations, it is your duty as the chief minister to see that injustice is not meted out to Goans youth.
The recruitment scams are the primary reason why Goan youth migrate to places like the UK and Gulf for a better future only to be called Londonkar’s and Dubaikar’s by your party workers. It is your duty to stop this brain drain.
So when you take the Oath on Monday, please remember you are not taking oath as the Chief Minister of BJP but the Chief Minister of Goa and well being of every Goan is your responsibility.
Jai Hind…Jai Goa…