The Shiv Sena on Tuesday demanded President’s Rule in Goa in the absence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is in the United States for medical treatment.
“In absence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, the state is left headless, and deserves to be ruled by [the] president of India through his emissaries,” Goa Shiv Sena spokesperson Rakhi Prabhudesai Naik said, according to PTI.
Naik said the president’s rule was needed so that the Centre can take over and provide relief to the people associated with the mining industry. The party claimed that people in Goa who were dependent on the mining industry had been given “fake promises”.
“No solution has been provided to their problems and certainly, in the current situation, we can’t expect a solution from the cabinet advisory committee which is the least bothered about people,” Naik alleged.
Early in February, the Supreme Court had quashed the Goa government’s order to renew the licences of mining companies in the state and ruled that the firms can carry out mining activities only till March 16. The companies can get new leases only after obtaining environment clearances, and the government has to start the auction process afresh.
Parrikar has been unwell for weeks. He was admitted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital on February 16 with abdominal pain. He was taken to Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital soon after and was discharged on February 22. The chief minister was re-admitted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital on February 25.
Before leaving for his treatment, Parrikar had formed a three-member advisory committee to guide the state administration. Naik, however, alleged that the committee has not held a single meeting so far to discuss the mining problem.
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