10 files missing since protesters’ visit, TCP dept files police plaint

Panaji: The town and country planning department (TCP) on Wednesday filed a complaint at Panaji police station after it found 10 files missing from its office after agitators protested at its office on Feb 20. CM Pramod Sawant said that action will be taken against those who marched to the residence of TCP minister Vishwajit Rane and allegedly tried to damage his house and assault him.

Protesters on Monday had marched to Rane’s residence to demand the scrapping of Section 39(A) of the TCP Act and action against police personnel for manhandling St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar at the TCP office.


Sawant chaired the BJP legislature wing meeting and briefed the ministers and MLAs about the ongoing agitations against govt in the state.

After the meeting, Sawant said that the protesters were trying to mislead the people in the state by portraying it as if govt was trying to do injustice to the people.

The CM said that protests should be carried out as per the law and that protesters should not cross the limits. “Those who marched to the minister’s residence and tried to attack his house, or tried to assault him and used abusive words, will not be spared, and strict action will be taken against them.”

Sawant said that they crossed the limit and they have to bear the brunt. “They took law and order into their hands, and those people will not be spared,” he said.

The chief minister said that one cannot stay at a govt office after work hours. “We allowed them to stay as there were women. If we acted against them and removed them from the office, then we would be blamed. The same department filed a police complaint about files missing from the office. Where shall we find those files?” he said.

Sawant said that the lady officer of that office was escorted out of the building by police. “What was the need to stay in the office the whole night? If they wanted to protest, they should have sat outside the office, or even at Azad Maidan. We requested that the MLA move out of the office. How can we allow them to sit on Saturday and Sunday?” the CM said.

He said that the way they were protesting showed they wanted to take Goa in different directions and with different ideologies. Sawant said that govt waited until Tuesday and tried to convince them to end the agitation. “We will not leave them. We will not allow such a type of mentality in the state. Goans should know the truth. We will not tolerate threats every time under the garb of caste and dharma. We are all Goans. The file from the office is missing after the protest at the office. The staff checked and found that those files were missing.”