Vijai-Sawant clash over fish-mafia issue

Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: Arguments were witnessed between Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant over the issue of the fish mafia, to which the latter challenged CM to prove his connection with the mafia, after which he will resign.
“I challenge CM Sawant to prove that if I have any connection with the fish mafia and if proven, I will resign and if CM fails to prove he should resign,” said Sardesai on the floor of the House.
He further said it’s two years now, and the state government has still failed to function a lab to test formalin fish.
“Many outsiders come into Goa water for fishing; what has the government done to stop this; they have been doing illegal fishing. What will the government do if there is a fish famine in the state due to this,” he said.
Vijai also said that he does not have any relation with Fish Mafia Ibrahim and has no transactions with him.
Criticising the government for doing nothing to solve the formalin-in-fish issue, Sardesai demanded to know the health minister who sabotaged the proposed food testing laboratory project.
“I insisted that there should be a lab exclusively to test not only fish but also meat and poultry and everything else that comes from outside. I even laid the foundation stone for it,” he added.