New Regional Party ‘Goa Forward’ formed. To provide FREE water, power, WI FI and Coconuts.

Courtesy goanews.com: On the eve of Liberation Day, a regional party, ‘Goa Forward’ was floated with a primary objective being to oust the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) even at the cost of working with other political parties and independent politicians.

Addressing the media Prabhakar Timble nominated as its president said, “We are prepared to sacrifice and work with other politicians even though there may be some issues on which we are not on the same platform”.

He very categorically said that, “anybody and everybody are welcome to join our political outfit, except the BJP”.

He informed that three independent MLAs – Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte and Bicholim MLA Naresh Sawal – have extended support to the GF. Timble claimed talks are already on with two other legislators besides ZP members, councillors and panchas.

When questioned about joining hands with AAP, Timble said Aam Aadmi Party have similar objectives but its high command is in Delhi while they want their high command in Goa.

The party has decided to begin its field action on 1 February from Amdai in Sanguem, where coconut trees are cut to set up a distillery.

The party has also announced that it would build a Fouz (brigade) of 2000 youth within six months, aiming at forthcoming Assembly election.

WHO ARE THEY?

While its state executive council will consist of 30 persons, the GF presented 11 of them. Vice Presidents: Dr Renuka D’Silva (Porvorim) and Rupesh Naik (ZP of Penha da Franca), General Secretary: Mohandas Lolayekar (Canacona), Joint Secretary: Vidya Parab (Bicholim), Treasurer: Suraj Lotlikar (Margao) and Members: Nisar Subhedar, Prashant Naik, Vishnu Ghadi, Dilip Prabhudesai and Joao Nicholas Crasto. The rest 18 members would include 10 women and 5 students, he said.

GF president said, “None of our key office bearers will contest Assembly elections”.

The GF also plans to constitute Constituency Council, State Council and State Political Affairs Committee.

WHY ONLY ANTI-BJP?

“They are worse than the Congress and have threatened the DNA of Goa, which is mosaic of liberalism, pluralism, multilingualism, openness and bountiful nature of a Niz Goenkar”, said Timble.

According to him, the Brand Goa is under attack with bad state of finances, the U-turns on each and every promise made in the last election, trust deficit, authoritative working style and unhealthy lobbies controlling the government.

Any government has to run for the benefit of institutional lobbies like Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Mineral Ore Exporters’ Association, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa etc, he said, but not the secret lobbies which are unknown.

He however denied that the new regional outfit is financed by mining barons like Audhut Timblo, while assuring that all donations the party receives would be accounted for and displayed on the party’s website.

FREE WATER, POWER, WI FI and Coconut

In its 24-point programme declared by general secretary Lolienkar, the major highlight is less than 20,000 litres of free water to each household, free power for agriculture, free Wi Fi, affordable housing for homeless Goans and day care centres for senior citizens and children as well as fish, coconuts and bread at affordable price.

If elected to power, the Lolienkar said, the party would ban junket tours of ministers and officials, no special privileges to VIPs, district offices of all functional departments in Mapusa and Margao and Special Status provisions by making necessary laws in Goa.

The GF also wants the Investment Promotion Act to be repealed, bring coconut under Preservation of Trees Act and declare coconut as the State Tree.

NO STAND TILL DATE ON…

Timble said the party has constituted a 10-member committee of experts to study the issue of Medium of Instruction scientifically rather than politically, which would be ready by 15 February.

“The whole issue is caught up between the child studying in mother tongue and the freedom of choice of the parent. The UNESCO has also changed its stand recently”, he said.

On the issue of recovering Rs 35,000 crore from the mining industry, Timble said Shah Commission is not a judicial authority and no judicial authority has passed any order to recover the amount.

However, when asked what would his party do if it comes to power, he said it would definitely probe into all such matters like mining or tendering infrastructural projects by quoting three times more than the actual cost.

The burning issues of Regional Plan 2021, casinos and marinas also did not figure in the prime commitments released by the party.

On RP21, he said the party would prefer making corrections rather than scrapping it.

On casinos, the party wants it not more than shifting it from the River Mandovi.

The party has not yet studied the issue of marinas.

While they want to begin field action on coconut, the party was not clear about their demand of bringing coconut under the Preservation of Trees Act.

When it was pointed out that the recent amendment has included the word coconut in one of the sections of the Act, Timble admitted the issue has not been studied fully.

We will support the demand of Coconut Protection Act, he said, when media persons said MLA Sardesai has also supported the demand in the Assembly.

The party is also in the process of preparing a detailed agenda on industry, service sector, tourism, solid waste management, agriculture, education, health, housing, real estate, governance, women and youth empowerment.