Congress slams Goa CM for visiting Russia

Panaji, Aug 12 (IANS) Goa Congress President Girish Chodankar on Monday slammed Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for his visit to Russia at a time when villages in the coastal state are facing flood-like situations.

Chodankar said that Sawant should have stayed back in Goa to monitor the flood-like situation in the northern villages of Sal and Ibrahimpur, instead of flying to Russia on a government junket.

He said that the damage caused to the two Goan villages was due to the release of accumulated water at the Tillari dam, located in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district, on Sunday.

"Instead of travelling to Russia, Sawant should have stayed back in Goa to monitor the flood crisis in his state. The two border villages Sal and Ibrahimpur have been washed away because of lack of co-ordination between Maharashtra and Goa governments, with regards to the release of water from the Tillari dam," Chodankar told media at the state Congress headquarters.

Sawant left for a two-day visit to Russia early on Monday as part of a delegation led by Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal.

On Sunday, release of water from the dam over the Tillari river in Maharashtra, reportedly caused a flood-like situation in the two border villages in Goa.

Chodankar claimed that houses and farms have seen unprecedented damage, while livestock was also washed away on account of the floods.

"The floods in Sal and Ibrahimpur are not a natural calamity, it has happened due to government negligence," Chodankar said, urging the state government to provide urgent relief to the residents of the two villages.

Goa has seen record rainfall over the last two weeks, which has caused a flood-like situation in several low lying areas. Two persons have also been reported dead on account of the heavy rains.