If Goa govt goes on wrong track, I’ll get it on track: Parrikar

Mapusa: Defence minister and former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar tried to assure the people in his home town of Mapusa that he still keeps an eye on developments in the state. People should not be worried if the Goa government goes on the wrong track as I will bring it on the right track, he said.
Referring to his birthday not as an event for celebration and that he wasn’t keen on having an event, Parrikar said he decided to go ahead with the function so that his well-wishers could meet him and since there would be a crowd, a managed-event was better.
He also said that he would use it as an opportunity to put his views before the people.
“At the age of 60 there is a need felt to think about retirement. On December 13, I am turning 60. I had started thinking about retirement 2- 3 years ago, I have to intensify it now,” he said after inaugurating the 200th branch of Lokmanya Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd at Mapusa on Sunday.
The former CM said that he had discussed with the prime minister the need for a people-friendly approach by income-tax and service tax departments. Those in these departments should not think that people are thieves and they are collecting ‘hafta’ from them, he said.
Defending the ban on live television footage during terror strikes, Parrikar said the terrorists used to get information from the footage.
The main fault in the counter-operations during the Mumbai terror attack was that terrorists got all the information about the government planning from the TV coverage, he added. “We had banned showing military operations on TV and if one wants to show it, it should not be live because it puts the life of soldiers in danger,” the defence minister said.
He said that he had given directions that as far as possible, a single Indian soldier’s life should not be lost while defending the country’s borders.
“I salute the one who becomes a martyr, but my directions are don’t give your life for the nation but take the life of those who are attacking our country. That is service to the nation. We have to follow this philosophy. Why should our solider lose his life? The compensation given by the government will never be able to make up for the pain that a family of a martyr faces,” Parrikar said.
“I have told the army, make use of rockets, there may be some more expenditure, but don’t put your life in danger, don’t leave the enemies of the nation, we will never spare them,” he said citing example of Wednesday’s terrorist attack on a camp of 3/1 Gorkha Rifles at the border town of Tanghdar in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district where three militants were killed during the strike. A civilian injured in the attack later succumbed to his injuries. The army’s para commandos neutralized the militants who were part of a fidayeen squad. Militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad has claimed responsibility for the attack.
“We have to keep the pride of the soldiers. There are no wars therefore the importance of the soldiers is not known to the people. We have to remember the importance of the soldiers every day and the country which does it will progress,” Parrikar said.