Goa: Poll tickets to people in mining India Blooms News Service Panaji, Feb 23 (IBNS) Defending ‘family raj’ in Congress politics in the state, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat accused Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) of allotting tickets to about half-a-dozen people having interest in mining.
The BJP had come down heavily on the Congress for not doing anything for the people of Goa and engaging in family politics. The Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance has allotted 12 tickets to five families including Ranes, Naiks, Monserrates, Alemaos and Madkaikars. Addressing a public rally at Comba (South Goa) where BJP has a sizeable presence, Kamat said voters should vote for Congress on merits. “I want that people vote for me and my party based on merits and our performance. We want Congress to return back to power,” he said. “BJP has made a huge hue and cry over dynasty politics. But they should peep into themselves for they have allotted tickets to at least 6 candidates having interest in mining,” he rued. BJP-Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) alliance has planted a winnable candidate Dinar Tarkar in the Santa Cruz constituency, who is not only a mining baron but the richest of all the contesting candidates having assets worth Rs 211.76 crores. BJP had raised the issue of illegal mining after which Central government appointed shah Commission began probing into the illegalities. It has come to fore that from 66 mining leases; more than 15 million metric tons of ore were extracted illegally in the past three years. (Reporting by John Edwards) http://www.indiablooms.com/NewsDetailsPage/2012/newsDetails230212e.php * * * Goa polls: Bharat Swabhiman Nyas to stay neutral Published: Wednesday, Feb 22, 2012, 21:01 IST Place: Panaji | Agency: PTI Almost a month after Yoga guru Baba Ramdev exhorted people to vote against Congress in March 3 Goa Assembly polls, his Bharat Swabhiman Nyas (BSN) unit on Wednesday said it would leave the choice to voters to select their legislators irrespective of the party they belong to. The BSN, which was earlier perceived to be inclined towards opposition BJP, said all political parties have fielded tainted candidates. "Few parties which had earlier promised that they will give tickets only to clean candidates have also not kept their promise," BSN's state unit working president Kamlesh Bandekar said. When asked about BJP, Bandekar said,"when we say all parties it includes BJP as well as it too has fielded candidates who do not have a clean image." The change in BSN's stance came in a month after Baba Ramdev had appealed to people to vote against Congress by raking up illegal mining in the state. Quoting Ramdev, Bandekar said the people would have to choose a lesser evil compared to a giant evil in the election; an oblique reference to BJP and Congress, respectively. "We appeal people to vote as per their conscience," he said. Swami Ramdev will be arriving in Goa on February 26 but will not address any public meetings. BSN said it has organised a day-long Satyagraha on February 26 at the historic Azad maidan in Panaji and is expecting over 2,000 people to participate. Bandekar said the BSN will also hold a yajna to purify minds of corrupt people. "We will not mind any candidate from political party joining us. But he will not be allowed to share the dais with Swamiji (Baba Ramdev)," he added. * * * MOI issue dominates Goa election India Blooms News Service Panaji, Feb 24 (IBNS) Where Congress is divided on the issue of Medium of Instruction (MOI) and its ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has decided to play it safe; Goa’s oldest regional party Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) has vowed to retain Konkani and Marathi as the MOI at the primary level. The party, which has forged an alliance with the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), on Friday released its manifesto for the assembly elections in Goa on March 3. The manifesto also promises that government’s daily communication would be in the regional languages. The outfit, backing the Bhartiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch has strongly opposed to the implementation of English as MOI. The saffron party BJP has interestingly switched on its interest from politicians to educationists by stating that problems would be solved in amicable way. “The BJP will stand by to the consensus of the parents, educationists and other stake holders. We want to solve the issue amicably,” said a senior BJP leader. The difference over the issue is quite evident within the Congress party. AICC General Secretary Oscar Fernandes and Secretary of Goa desk incharge Sudhar Reddy have promised that grants will be provided to schools offering English as MOI. However, Congress’ campaign in-charge Pratapsing Rane doesn’t want to speak about it. “The matter is subjudice,” Rane pat replied to a media question. Whereas its pre-poll alliance NCP is silent on the issue. The party’s manifesto reads, “The MOI of pre-primary and primary level should be mother tongue and parents should decide the future of children.” But the NCP has desisted from commenting whether they would or not give grants to English medium primary schools. (Reporting by John Edwards) http://www.indiablooms.com/NewsDetailsPage/2012/newsDetails240212t.php * * * NCP: Goa Congress cozying up to real estate lobby Last Updated: Thursday, February 23, 2012, 16:15 128 0 Panaji: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Thursday accused its ruling alliance partner, the Congress, of selling out to the real estate lobby while preparing a futuristic land-use document Regional Plan 2021. In the party's election manifesto for the March 3 assembly polls, NCP state president Surendra Sirsat accused the government of concretising Goa and promised to scrap the controversial land-use plan. "The present draft of the RP 2021 will mainly concretise Goa. That is a builder-oriented plan at the cost of agricultural land, hill cutting, rehabilitation of people, water bodies and agricultural land," Sirsat said. Defending the portfolios held by the two ministers of his party in the coalition government -- mainly tourism, revenue and civil supplies, Sirsat said RP 2021, a brainchild of Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, would change the very identity of Goa in a bad way. "NCP is committed to formulate a new regional plan after due deliberation and consultation," Sirsat said. The RP-2021, along with family raj and medium of instruction are major issues which are taking centre stage in the forthcoming Assembly polls. While the Congress has promised to make popular amendments to the regional plan, the BJP has also advocated scrapping of the plan, which civil society groups have accused of pandering to real estate lobbies which were being backed by cabinet ministers in the coalition government. IANS http://zeenews.india.com/state-elections-2012/goa/ncp-goa-congress-cozying-up-to-real-estate-lobby_760126.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
