Engineers defer agitation against minister

Panaji, July 20 (UNI) The Goa Electrical Engineers Forum, comprising of about 400 members, today decided to defer their agitation for a fortnight following discussions with Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane last evening.

The Forum representative Mr Bharat Nigalye said the engineers had also withdrawn the 'pen-down strike' launched three days ago besides the proposed mass rally demanding sacking of Agriculture minister Francisco Xavier Pascheco who allegedly abused and slapped one of the junior engineers Kapil Natekar at the latter's house in South Goa recently.

While police probed into the complaint filed by Natekar against the minister, the supporters of the minister demanded action against the engineer for lodging a 'false' complaint.

Mr Pascheco had also slapped a legal notice on the engineer seeking withdrawal of the police complaint and unconditional apology lest he should face criminal and civil defamation. Mr Pascheco said he had only reprimanded the engineer for not attending complaints of people from his Benaulim constituency.

The government, however, maintained that the authorities could not take any action pending police inquiry into the engineer's complaint against the minister.

UNI BM GB SI RS1419