http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1372085,000900040002.htm
Cong allures voters ahead of Goa bypolls
Press Trust of India
Panaji, May 22, 2005
Ahead of the crucial by-elections, the Congress on Sunday promised to give
free education to all students up to graduate level in Goa, if voted to
power and ask the Centre to declare the state economically backward so
that it could avail benefits and attract industries.
"We are committed to providing free education for all up to the graduate
level in the state whereas earlier, it was only up to the higher secondary
level. We will also increase reservation for Scheduled Tribes to 15 per
cent from the 7.5 per cent they enjoy now and restore 27 per cent
reservations for OBCs, which had been reduced to 19 per cent," GPCC
President Ravi Naik said.
Accusing the former BJP government of driving away industries from the
state, Naik said, "We will ask the Centre to declare Goa an economically
backward state, as more than 350 industries have closed down during the
BJP regime."
"We can then avail income tax benefits and other holidays, thus attracting
many industries to our state," he added.
Outlining the achievements of previous Congress governments in Goa, Naik
said its main focus was on areas like road networks, employment and
education and they delivered on those counts.
AICC general secretary in-charge of Goa, Margaret Alva, expressed
confidence that the party and its allies would win all five seats in the
by-polls, but was non-committal on the fate of the United Legislature
Party formed after the fall of the BJP government led by Manohar Parrikar.
"The ULP was formed after the Parrikar government fell, but now that the
Assembly itself is in suspended animation, the creation of ULP will depend
after the election results."
