Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji (SD)

Panaji, May 19: Goa Forward Party GFP, on Monday, May 18 said that the chief minister Pramod Sawant has failed to understand the pandemic after it allowed the Hazrat Nizamuddin Express to halt at Goa but not the Rajdhani Express despite increasing number of cases in the state.

The GFP president Vijai Sardesai said that the BJP led government in the state has been trying to project a false picture of non-resident Goans as carriers of coronavirus and have been using different yardsticks for people arriving from Delhi and Goan seafarers overseas.

The former minister said, "We have trains bringing back not just Goans, but all and sundry to Goa, especially those having connections with the high and mighty affiliated with the ruling party in Delhi. Some are also sneaking in here and enjoying themselves."

Sardesai said, "Meanwhile we still don't have a clear plan from the government as to when exactly the airport or seaport will open for rescue flights or ships."

The GFP questioned the state government on why the seafarers were asked to be in paid quarantine while those arriving in trains were asked to be home quarantined. They demanded that the government should avail quarantine and testing facilities to be free of cost for all the Goans.

The GFP also demanded that the state government prohibited tourists and residents from other states from entering the state as there is surge in the number of cases in the state.