MAPUSA: Accusing the Mapusa MLA of sleeping over files, former PWD Minister Ramkrishna Dhavalikar, who is also Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party’s (MGP) chief ministerial candidate, said that Mapusa roads could not be repaired and bus stand project delayed due to shortage of funds. He was interacting with media persons at Mapusa after inaugurating MGP office.
MGP, Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) and Shiv Sena have forged an alliance for the forthcoming polls. Dhavalikar claimed that the alliance will win at least 22 seats “as there is a very positive response from youth and other sections of society.”
When asked whether there is a possibility of post-election alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he replied, “The alliance with BJP was severed as MGP MLAs were insulted and same was conveyed to Nitin Gadkari through a letter.”
He further announced that if the alliance comes to power, only eight ministers and a chief minister will be sworn in.
When asked why PWD failed to repair Mapusa roads, Dhavalikar replied, “If the MLA has the willpower, roads can be repaired within 24 hours but he has to come out. The problem here was scarcity of funds, the funds were not released in time and I blame the finance minister for that.”
Commenting on the delay in Mapusa bus stand project, he again blamed the finance minister “for not sanctioning infrastructure tax which is to be paid to NGPDA.”
Defending the alliance’s Mapusa candidate Vinod ‘Balu’ Phadke in GCA fraud case, Dhavalikar said, “I challenge the allegations against him, the first thing was that the bank manager should have been arrested, that has not been done. He (Phadke) was issued summons a day after MGP decided to strengthen the election strategy they wanted to send out a message that he is a corrupt person.”
The MGP office was inaugurated at the hands of Dhavalikar in the presence of Mapusa candidate Phadke, MGP’s Mapusa block president Bharat Toraskar, Nandan Sawant of GSM, Kishor Rao of Shiv Sena and MGP supporters.
Phadke said, “Since the last 20 years, no development has taken place in Mapusa whether it is new bus stand project or Kala Mandir or providing amenities hence people of Mapusa are forced to go to Panaji.”
