from daijiworld's special correspondent
Panaji, Oct 14: Goa will strongly contend for the representation during next union cabinet expansion. State’s congressmen and business community feel that the state should get representation in the union cabinet during its next expansion.
“We have no godfather in centre… There are MPs but their role is limited. All this while Goa had its representation in the central cabinet and even now we expect that any one of our MPs should get the ministerial berth,” stated Nitin Cuncolienkar, president, Goa chamber of commerce and industries (GCCI).
State’s apex commerce body has been facing difficult to liason with the centre due to no representation in the union cabinet. “It’s injustice to Goa. We have so many grievances and issues to settle.. we have no one who can help us there,” Cuncolienkar stated.
The chamber hopes that the central government would consider one of Goa’s MPs during next cabinet expansion. “We manage to settle our issue through our personal contacts but it’s purely a personal affair. We want someone who can channelise our problems without us, forcing to take any favours,” the GCCI president said
Goa has two Congress MPs Shantaram Naik in the Rajya Sabha who is a senior Congressman, besides being AICC Secretary, in charge of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep and Churchil Alemao, a Lok Sabha Member.
Similar sentiments are echoed in the congress circles. “There has been no formal discussion on this issue. But, of course, informally Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) has deliberated on the representation to Goa in centre,” stated Ulhas Parab, general secretary, GPCC.
Parab stated that there has been a standard practice of giving ministerial berth to Goa. “It was given to earlier MPs including Eduardo Faleiro and Ramakant Khalap,” he stated.
He said that though GPCC will not write any formal letter seeking representation, majority of the congressmen feel that able and educated MP should be considered during next cabinet expansion.
Congressmen feel that although there are States like Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh,Chatisgarh which have also no representation, it is Goa and Manipur which go to polls early next year, which may be considered for giving representation.