Goa’s ‘Maun Mukhyamantri’ should not turn state into ‘parasite’ from ‘paradise’: Congress

Panaji, Oct 11 (IANS) Launching relentless political attacks on Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant over his silence on sensitive issues like ministers involved in gold smuggling, sex scandal, medicine purchase scam and Pernem Zoning plan (conversion of land), Congress leader Girish Chodankar on Wednesday mocked Sawant by calling him a ‘Maun Mukhyamantri’.

“Pramod Sawant should be aware that the Chief Minister has to respond when there are protests against the government. But it is strange that he is not responding to issues, against which people are raising their voice, and loot by this BJP government continues. Seems he has become ‘Maun Mukhyamantri’ or there are parallel Chief Ministers in his cabinet,” Chodankar said.

“Pernem residents have taken up to the streets protesting against the hidden agenda of BJP government, which has proposed to convert 1.4 crore sq. metre land. People have expressed fear that if this becomes reality then they will suffer to get basic needs like water and electricity supply as housing complexes will come up on green cover. Despite that the Chief Minister is mum. This is unacceptable,” he added.

Secondly, he said, Congress has exposed the medicine procurement scam of the Goa Medical College, where medicines were being purchased from ‘One Top Pharmacy’ by flouting tender rules.

“Government is paying 400 hundred times more than the actual price to this pharmacy. It is a scam of crores of rupees. Even cancer patients are not spared from this loot and are prescribed medicines, which are available in this pharmacy for a higher price. It is the duty of the Chief Minister to provide better health facilities to people of the state, however he is neither taking action against Health Minister Vishwajit Rane nor speaking a word on it,” Chodankar added.

He said that Congress has even complained about a minister in the Goa government involved in gold smuggling, but despite that Pramod Sawant has not taken action nor spoken a word.

“This minister should immediately be expelled from the cabinet and should be arrested,” he added.

Chodankar also said that there were allegations against one Minister involved in the sex scandal, but it was not investigated fearing the truth will come out.

“If the BJP government was sure that this sex scandal had not taken place, then it should have probed it. Investigation is not done because the allegations have base,” he added.

“I urge Chief Minister Pramod Sawant not to turn our ‘paradise’ Goa into a ‘parasite’, wherein people will suffer. People want to know whether he is involved in these scams as a partner in crime or if he is afraid to speak,” Chodankar said.

–IANS

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