PANAJI: Expressing confidence that the chief minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party government that would come to power after the forthcoming state assembly election would be chosen and decided based on his leadership quality, Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar, on Tuesday, said that in politics age is not a bar, if a person has leadership qualities.
“The Chief Minister has to be young at heart,” he added.
Interacting with the youth at the Yuva Melava, held in the city and organised by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, Parrikar said that the manifesto of the Bharatiya Janata Party for the state assembly polls, which would be released on January 27, targets completion of ongoing as well as new state infrastructural projects and enhancement of the social welfare schemes, wherein the existing social welfare schemes would undergo indexing in accordance with the respective price rise.
“The manifesto also promises that the BJP government will undertake skill development as well as training pertaining to various employments, for the youth,” he revealed.
Further interacting with the youth the Defence Minister said that his government, after returning to power would provide an incubation centre/ placement centre for every cluster of the state colleges, formed for the purpose. He also said that atrocities against the girls would not be tolerated, while mooting the idea for self defence education in colleges.
Parrikar, who replied to lot of queries from the youth, said that the issue of compulsory 75 per cent attendance for the college students would be put for discussion before the University Grants Commission by the government of his party, through a students’ body.
“The other issues of the students would be sorted out through extensive discussion with the concerned ministers of the BJP government, by taking the students’ council into confidence,” he added.
Maintaining that there exist many pitfalls in politics, the Defence Minister said that in politics money comes with power and power corrupts, while absolute power corrupting absolutely. “I however, ensured that my tenure in politics was completely detached from these menace,” he pointed out.
Parrikar also stated that although there is some misuse of the quota system, there is still need for the reservations as a mechanism to bring up people, who are still out of social structure. “Though the situation in Goa is different, the social condition of the downtrodden people across the country is not good. However, it is improving,” he observed
The Defence Minister also pooh-poohed the assurance in the Congress manifesto as regards providing 5 litres of free petrol to youth, every month, describing it as weird promise.