Goa CM to meet Archbishop over corruption, weak governance remarks

Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Friday said that he does not agree with Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao's comments about "rampant corruption and weak governance" in the state, and will meet him to put his points across.

"In fact, while I was leaving, I told the person accompanying me that I want to go and meet the Archbishop sometime," Parsekar told IANS at the State Secretariat.

On Wednesday, the Goa Archbishop at his annual civic reception at the Bishop's palace here which was attended by top dignitaries including Governor Mridula Sinha, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Parsekar himself, had said that the state government was corrupt and weak.

"It has been an assault on our community and our natural wealth. More distressingly, it has been a loss to our children and future generations. Are we not answerable to them? Or are they going to remember us as an irresponsible generation that has squandered natural wealth for the benefit of a few," he had said.

Ferrao is the spiritual and religious leader of Goa's Catholics, who account for around 26 per cent of the state's 1.5 million population.

Meanwhile, Parrikar has refused to comment on the Archbishop's comments.

'Zero tolerance to corruption' was a key poll plank of the BJP-led coalition government in Goa, which was elected to power in 2012.

--IANS

maya/sm/vd