Team Goemkarponn
VASCO: The nomination of South Goa Member of Parliament Captain Viriato Fernandes to the prestigious Defence Committee of the country, is a proud moment for Goa and Goans.
The list featuring Captain Viriato’s name was released by the Parliamentary Secretariat. Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is also a prominent appointee to the Defence Committee as featured in the Lok Sabha bulletin released on September 24th, 2024. Local Congress sources attributed the appointment of Capt Viriato to the assertive stamp of Rahul Gandhi in promoting a new and young team in the party.
Sources revealed that the vast experience gained by Captain Viriato during his Naval tenure spanning 26 years, was a major consideration in deciding his nomination to this Committee. After serving on warships in the field of marine engineering in his initial years, Capt Viriato switched over to aviation – handling a diverse variety of aircraft in the course of his duty.
He is also the only war hero in the present Lok Sabha. His distinguished service in the Kargil war in 1999 was recognized with the award of the prestigious Vijay star medal.
Capt. Viriato’s invaluable practical expertise is backed by an outstanding educational background. With a degree in mechanical as well as aeronautical engineering, he also has to his credit a double MBA as well as a Black Belt in Six Sigma Certification. It is expected that his longstanding practical knowledge and experience will be extremely useful in formulating important defence policies and decision-making that is considered critical due to the precarious security scenario prevailing along the borders with hostile neighbourhoods.
When contacted, Captain Viriato thanked the Indian National Congress for nominating him to the prestigious Defence Committee. He specially thanked the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for the appointment, considering the fact that he is a first-time Member of Parliament and that the Committee generally features very senior Parliamentarians from both houses of Parliament with vast experience on Defence-related matters.
Captain Viriato assured that he will contribute wholeheartedly in helping to strengthen the Defence forces when it comes to decision-making and shaping of policies.
The Defence Committee will be headed by Radha Mohan Singh, a member of Lok Sabha and National Vice President of the BJP.
