Who is Vishwajeet, asks Sardinha, but opposes entry tax
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 20 April 2013 16:25 IST
Congress leader Francisco Sardinha is also opposed to entry tax, but asks “who is Vishwajeet Rane to say that on behalf of the party”.
Sardinha is the South Goa MP as well as the working president of GPCC.
But today, he said, he is addressing the press as the MP, though from the office of the GPCC.
When it was pointed out that Vishwajeet already had a press conference yesterday to voice out party’s opposition to the entry tax, he instantly shot back: Who is Vishwajeet to say that?
Vishwajeet had yesterday announced opposition to entry tax on behalf of the GPCC as well as the CLP.
According to Sardinha, however, the party is yet to take a decision.
“We will hold the meeting with the CLP and take a stand on the issue,” he said.
As the South Goa MP, and not as the working president of the GPCC, Sardinha said entry tax would result into pitfall for Goan tourism.
“Tourists don’t come here out of love for Goa. They come here because there is Sun and Sand. If you start charging them on the borders, they will go somewhere else,” he feared.
The Congress MP also suggested collecting money through other sources like VAT on consumer items.
“Nowhere in India exists such kind of entry tax,” he said.
Sardinha said that the state is already reeling under skyrocketing prices of vegetables as the traders from Belgaum and Kolhapur have decided to stop supplies to Goa.
Both these places are traditional markets for the coastal state to purchase commodities like vegetables, milk and grocery.
“Goa is not a producing state. We have to import everything from outside,” he observed.
He also opined that Goa cannot afford to intimidate the traders.
Francisco Sardinha should contest the next Lok Sabha either from Belgaum or Kolhapur. His comment '“Goa is not a producing state. We have to import everything from outside' confirms his ignorance except looting wherein he forgot his own village Curtorim, which is granary of rice