Saligao, Mar 18 (TOI): Castigating both Lok Sabha MPs for their failure to deliver, former Union law minister Ramakant Khalap said that over the last five years, Goa has had no voice in the Parliament either from North Goa or South Goa although Goans had elected MPs to represent them.

Addressing reporters in the presence of North Goa Congress president Vijai Bhike, member Sudhin Naik, Subash Kerkar and other office-bearers, Khalap said, “Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are very important in our democracy and if both elected MPs remained silent, then there is no use of them being elected to the House.”

“Why did both the MPs not raise the issue of resumption of mining in the House?” said Khalap. “Under the Adarsh Gram Yojana, we have not seen any development undertaken for the villages adopted under the scheme,” he added.

Khalap expressed confidence that Congress will emerge victorious in the bypolls and Lok Sabha elections.

Further criticising the former CM Laxmikant Parsekar, Khalap said, “When Parsekar became the CM, Mandrem College was deaffiliated , but we appealed to the high court and the court ordered to give us an affiliation and also give us the grants.”