Goa Trinamool Congress today welcomed yet another dynamic grassroots leader, former Sarpanch of Gaondongrim Panchayat & Chairman of FRC (Forest Rights’ Committee) Shri Ashok Velip into the party fold. The event was presided over by Rajya Sabha MP and AITC Goa Co-incharge Smt Sushmita Dev and AITC Media In-charge Shri Om Prakash Mishra.
Following the induction, Shri Ashok Velip commented upon how TMC in the last few months has reached out to the people across the length and breadth of the state to alleviate the needs of the common folk.
“Gaondongrim Panchayat majorly consists of the ST population and neither the BJP nor the Congress have ever come to our aid. That is why I decided to join the TMC. The party is making sincere efforts to reach out to every last person in Goa to mitigate the problems faced by Goenkars. I want to be able to do the same for my people”, he asserted.
Further, speaking on the environmental degradation in the state, he commented, “The people of Velip are forest dwelling tribes and we have struggled to preserve the natural cover. The government has failed to bring development in this area, and instead only caused further damage to the environment.”
Welcoming him to the party fold, Smt Sushmita Dev said, “Shri Ashok Velip is a well known grassroots activist who has worked dedicatedly for the welfare of the Velip community. He has actively taken it upon himself to raise and address environmental concerns of the Gaondongri Panchayat. With leaders like him, our party only grows in strength. We welcome him into the TMC family.”
On an additional note, Smt Sushmita Dev also launched a sharp attack on the statement made by Congress’ Goa poll in-charge Shri P. Chidambaram pointing out Congress’ hypocrisy, “If anyone leaves the Congress party they are branded as traitors & when someone joins them they are not traitors.”
“It is every party’s democratic right to inspire or convince people to join them,” she added.