Aam Aadmi Party said that the Covid crisis had exposed the irrational behaviour of the government which was denying Goans the right to their own homes, but at the same time allowing the influential to enter Goa to enjoy their second homes.
AAP Convenor Elvis Gomes said that an ill-prepared government, fit only to grant conversions of pristine agricultural and orchard lands into settlement and commercial zones, was taking a very casual approach to the return of Goans stranded abroad and in other states, thus causing more delays and uncertainty in arranging their homecoming. This he said, was causing enormous stress to the families along with those stranded outside Goa. He also said that the case of sending stranded migrants back to their homes was no different. Gomes said that the state government was seen as weak, being unable to work it’s way with the centre that was giving Goa a low priority response.
“It is an ironic situation to see so many having gained entry into the state from other states under the pretext that they were going to their second home and the state government gleefully welcoming them under pressure of their ‘influential’ bosses,’ while sons and daughters of the soil were kept either out
of Goa or quarantined,“ said Gomes.
Meanwhile the Aam Aadmi Party said that Covid testing flip flops of first publicly declaring a seafarer as positive and then later declaring him to be negative showed the government’s insensitivity. “Why make a public declaration about anyone’s positive status before doing the confirmatory test? Can’t they wait?” asked Gomes. He also said that charging ₹2,000 for Covid testing was unprecedented in the country and demanded immediate stoppage and refund of the charges to those from whom the money was taken.
