NT Staff Reporter
Panaji April 7: The Bharatiya Janata Party, at its recent national executive council meet decided to field the candidates in the by-elections to all five constituencies, namely Margao, Poinguinim, Benaulim, Cumbarjua and Taleigao constituencies.
The delegation told the Election Commission that the Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil had shown his inclination towards dissolving the Goa assembly to usher fresh assembly elections in the state, during such a demand made to him by the Left parties, he said, pointing out that, the commission was also requested to interact with the central government in this regard.?
The Election Commission has assured us of taking just and unbiased decision, he claimed.
Mr Parrikar also informed that he, as the MLA of Panaji, has met the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation officials and demanded that the leftover works in the city such as construction and clearing of gutters be undertaken on priority, before the monsoons.
Reacting to the situation of uncertainty faced by the students who are preparing to answer the Goa Common Entrance Test 2005, at the month end, Mr Parrikar said that his government had taken a decision somewhere during mid-January, earlier this year, to give 25 per cent weightage to the CET and providing 75 per cent weightage to the HSSC examination.
After the dismissal of my government, this decision was changed and now I am being targeted by the Congress party for the entire mess, he said.
The situation can still be salvaged by seeking proper legal advice to correctly interpret the Supreme Court ruling about the common entrance test, Mr Parrikar maintained.
It is evident that the bureaucratic mind-set of the present government is responsible for all the confusion and looking at the approach of the Governor, Mr S C Jamir towards the students, the confusion may not be sorted out, at all, he predicted.
The former chief minister also said that some of the private colleges in Karnataka had started conducting interviews of the students, apart from the common entrance test, and the court had directed that CET should not be diluted by arranging other examinations or interviews. ?Probably this made the Goa government to take a decision wherein 100 per cent weightage has now been given to the Goa Common Entrance Test 2005, he pointed out.
Mr Parrikar also remarked that the wrong attitude of the government will result in massive loss of revenue for the state through the value added tax (VAT), and further create confusion in the trade as well as consumer circles regarding the same. ?A good piece of legislation related to VAT will go down the drain, he predicted.
Mr Parrikar stated that his government had kept items like besan, atta, rava, spices, cereals and bread out of the tax bracket, while the same have now been put under this bracket.
He also observed that most of the government officers who were employed on contract or given extensions during the regime of his government, served specific purpose.Like say, the former sales tax commissioner, Mr Bir was given an extension because he had a deep knowledge of the VAT, Mr Parrikar mentioned.
He also said that the 15-odd government officers whose services were terminated recently, included 28 per cent Catholic officers. If my government had done so, the opposition parties would have blamed me of taking a communal decision, he noted.
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Jai Hind!
Carlos
