03/08/2015 … Asking for more powers to be given to the state zilla panchayat, calangute mla Michael lobo on Monday led a delegation of north and south zilla panchayats members to panchayat minister dayanand mandrekar raising issues of the zilla panchayat specially concerning zilla panchayat funds ….

In a meeting which was held with the panchayat minister along with sanguem mla subhash phaldesai and zilla pancyat members calangute mla Michael lobo sought the attention of panchayat minister to give more powers to zilla panchayat members for the development of each zilla panchayat constituency

Speaking to goanreporter mr lobo said that the funds were very less given to the zilla panchayat members which had to be raised to a minimum of forty to fifty lakhs for each zilla panchayat member …

Meanwhile sanguem mla subash phaldesai said that there was a need for the state government to give more powers to the zilla panchayat members there was a need to convince all the state mla’s in helping the zilla panchayat members in getting more powers for the developmental works

02/08/2015 … The state congress party had condemned the state government decision of giving pardon to nuvem mla micky Pacheco and appoint daboblim mla muvin godinho as the chairman of south goa planning and development authority …

Addressing media persons goa desk incharge of the state congress party digvijay singh said that the state bjp led government had done double standards in both the issue pardoning a convict mla and also appointing a man who had been involved in a power scam

Commenting over the Louis berger issue Mr singh said that his party was of the opinion of having a cbi inquiry in to the issue where as his party mla and former chief minister digambar kamat had denied any role of his involvement in to the scam

Mr singh also stated that the party was fully backing the force movement in their issue and was disapproving the statements made by chief minister Parsekar in the assembly accusing congress party and church of being involved in the force dharna

31/08/2015 … Curtorim mla reginaldo lourenco has said that the present bjp led government was in-sensitive towards the goans issues and therefore was least bothered to understand as what the parents of school children exactly wants as far as issue of medium of instruction was concerned

It may be noted that the curtorim mla who had raised the moi issue in the ongoing assembly session on Thursday was asked by speaker to leave the assembly hall as Reginald was trying to raise the moi issue before the house …

Speaking to media reporters curtorim mla Reginald lourenco said that the present speaker was go down in the history as one of the most who has paid blunt attention to the rules and regulations of the house

Independent mla from fatorda constituency vijai sardessai said that extreme measures were used in the assembly for the slightest provocation

Meanwhile pwd minister and mgp leader sudhin dhavlikar said that his party was for local language and were fully behind it

31/07/2015 …. Veilm mla Benjamin silva has said that his government was firm in putting an end to the velim church case where in the Cuncolim police had filed a chargesheet against priests and villagers due to which village boys had been facing problems even to travel abroad in the past few years with cases being booked against them …

It may be noted that the Former water resource minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues in a letter written to chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar had sought his intervention in the Velim church case where the Cuncolim police have filed a chargesheet against two priests and 20 villagers.

In a memorandum to the Chief Minister mr Rodrigues had said that the former chief minister and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar while speaking in the legislative assembly in March 2014 had said that he personally felt that the case should be closed while also admitting that arrests could create a law and order situation.

Mr rodrigues had also stated innocent people have been unnecessarily framed and implicated in the chargesheet including the parish priest and Episcopal vicar while actual culprits, the police who created the scenario by their ill advised raid on the church have been left scot-free.
But Speaking to media reporters velim mla Benjamin silva said that his government is trying to close the case but since issue of police officials was also involved his government did required time to take a final call over it

On asked about the former velim mla writing a letter to the chief minister over the issue Mr silva questioned as where was mr felipe neri rodrigues all this while and what he had done to solve the issue

Mr silva also said that the former chief minister Manohar Parrikar had assured of solving the issue within four months and now the present chief minister had also assured to finish the case soon as possible

31/07/2015 … Stating that scams like the beach cleaning scam was more bigger than the ongoing Louis berger scam fatorda mla vijai sardessai has charged the state government of using police pressure tactics to shut certain politicians getting them involved in police cases ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections

Speaking to media reporters fatorda mla vijai sardessai said that goas cant have the systems of Salazar in a different form coming back in the state where in even now police personnel’s would be use to target those who speak against the government

Mr sardessai said that such steps of targeting state politicians was done by the bjp led government to raise the sagging morale of the bjp cadre which had totally gone down in the state

31/08/2015 … Stating that he has been unable to understand the statements made by chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar on the floor of the house over the moi issue Former education minister babush monosratte had feared of the grants given to English medium schools as temporary one’s and could stop by the end of this academic year

Speaking to media reporters over the moi issue the former education minister and st cruz mla babush monsoratte said that it was up to the government to give grants or not and therefore the decision was left with the government to get the bill in the ongoing assembly session

Mr monsoratte said that during his tenure as a education minister earlier there were certain party groups who had opposed to give grants to the English medium schools in the state due to which the bill got delayed and was unable to turn it in to a law

Mr monsoratte also stated that he was of the opinion that everyone had the freedom to choose his own language and therefore there was a need for the state government to take the issue of force seriously

30/07/2015 ….. Former chief minister Digambar Kamat has denied any role of his involvement in to the jica bribery case stating that the file never came to him

It may be noted that five years ago, Louis Berger, a company headquartered in New Jersey, paid nearly a million dollars to be hired as consultants for a water-and-sewage project in Goa, its executives have admitted in a US court. Louis Berger officers were then summoned by the Crime Branch of the Goa Police.

Along with jica officials in the past few days state crime branch officials have also summoned former pwd minister Churchill Alemao while the former chief minister digambar kamat was summoned to appear before the crime branch officials on Wednesday

Speaking to media reporters former chief minister digambar kamat said that he was open to any sort of inquiry as he had not taken any bribes from any one

Meanwhile chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar said that since the state police officials were in the right track investigating the jica case if need arise then they would think of weather to give the case to cbi or not

30/04/2015 … Pwd minister sudhin dhavlikar has said that he was waiting for the jica bribery case investigations to be completed before he could make any statement before the media

Addressing media persons outside the assembly complex pwd minister sudhin dhavlikar said that though investigation in jica bribery case was on the same would not hamper jica projects in the state and would be completed on time

Meanwhile deputy chief minister francis dsouza too said that he would only make a statement once the inquiry in to the jica case was completed and opined that there was a need for a public scrutiny over the jica projects

30/07/2015 … Stating that his party was not against the issue of local languages Opposition leader pratapsingh rane has said that English was the world language and without English one could not survive in this world …

Speaking to media reporters over the issue of medium of instruction leader of opposition pratapsingh rane said that though the bill has not yet come in the ongoing assembly session they would like to wait and see if the government brings it up for discussion or not as he expect the state government to properly support English along with the local languages

Mr rane said that if there was a demand from the people then definitely a bill was required and his party would support it

fatorda mla vijai sardessai commenting over the moi issue said that the state government was playing politics with the future of the children

Meanwhile calangute legislator Michael lobo said that he was afraid of one wrong step taking the moi issue to the court and therefore would like the issue to be solved in a proper way

29/07/2015 …. Showing his support for the right of medium of instruction issue Calangute legislator Michael lobo on Tuesday paid a visit at the azad maidan in panjim to show his support towards the force movement …

It may be noted that members of force along with parents of schools children from various parts of the state have been on a strike at the azad maidan in panjim in demand for enacting the law on medium of instruction in the ongoing state assembly session

Mr lobo met the convenor savio lopes who has gone on an indefinite hunger strike at azad maidan in panjim and held discussion over the force issues

Speaking to media reporters calangute mla Michael lobo said that English as medium of instruction was already there and the state government was aware about the requirements of the general public in the state

Mr lobo said that there was a need for people to take some patience as the bill would be passed in the present or the next assembly session