'Migrant voters from Tivim ward must go'

Panaji: RG on Monday challenged BJP state president Damodar ‘Damu’ Naik to delete the names of more than 950 migrant voters from a Tivim ward. It said these voters are migrants who have encroached on private land and have built houses illegally.
RG president Manoj Parab said 118 of these 950 voters do not have house numbers, yet they managed to obtain voting cards. Parab’s challenge follows Naik’s request to the Election Commission to remove illegally enrolled voters and cleanse the electoral roll.
“I challenge Damu Naik, and he must accept this small challenge. We will provide you with names and details of bogus voting cards with proof. Try and get these cancelled and delete the names. Let’s take Tivim constituency’s Colvale area, where the maximum number of migrants have built illegal homes and encroached on land,” said Parab.
Speaking about Tivim’s Gothanicho Whal, which is in part 5 of the electoral roll, Parab said, “Damu Naik said these bogus voters are availing of govt schemes, but it is BJP govt that is giving those schemes to them. The Tivim MLA is in BJP, and these are his voters.”
He said Naik’s call for the deletion of bogus voters is “political drama” to divert attention. Parab, who has consistently criticised the blind eye turned towards the ‘Lala ki Basti’ at Tivim, said that Goans are slowly becoming a minority in the state. He said that fisheries minister Nilkant Halarnkar received 563 votes from Gothanicho Whal. “Halarnkar has threatened them to vote, saying that their illegal homes would be destroyed otherwise. Once you get a voting card, you gain access to govt schemes and incentives,” said Parab.