Panaji, May 8 (IANS): The BJP government in Goa on Monday drew criticism from the opposition after it declared a 'Paid Holiday' for the people of Karnataka working in the coastal state so that they can cast their vote in the May 10 Assembly election.

"The Government of Goa has declared Wednesday, May 10, 2023, as a 'Paid Holiday' being the 'Polling Day' for the election to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly to the electors of Karnataka state," the Department of Information and Publicity said in the press release.

"The aforesaid holiday will be a 'Paid Holiday' for the workers of the following establishments which includes industrial workers of the state of Goa; daily wage workers of the government departments and state government industrial departments; commercial and industrial workers of private establishments in Goa; all private establishments and daily wage/casual workers employed in any business, trade industrial undertakings or any other establishments as informed by the department of information and publicity," it further said.

The opposition parties in Goa, however, criticised the government, and sought to roll back the announcement.

Goa unit AAP vice president, Ramrao Wagh said that the BJP government is more concerned about Karnataka than the people of the state.

"Currently, the state government is on holiday, along with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and other ministers are also camping in Karnataka to campaign for BJP," Wagh said.

"People of Karnataka have decided to send home the corrupt BJP government, which is known as 40 per cent, and hence the BJP is trying to apply all its strategies to win the election. They may also do bogus voting by taking people from here," Wagh alleged.

"We are condemning the act of announcing a paid holiday for the Karnataka election and demand to rollback the decision, else it will be clear that the BJP government has compromised the Mhadei diversion," he said.

Revolutionary Goans Party president Manoj Parab said that all the ministers of the BJP government and their leaders from Goa are busy campaigning for their Karnataka counterpart.

"Goa government has declared a paid holiday to Karnataka voters working in the private sector and other areas. I have never heard that other states opting for similar practices when Goa goes for election," he pointed out.

He appealed to the people to realise how the BJP in Goa is using the government machinery to help the Karnataka BJP for the election and also to divert the Mhadei river.