Declare holiday for private sector on June 2: Gowda

Panaji, May 29 (UNI) Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) President H D Deve Gowda today urged the Chief Election Commisioner to declare June 2 as a public holiday for private and unorganised sector so that people can cast their vote in the Assembly elections.

Mr Gowda, who is currently campaigning in Goa for his party's candidates, said if a public holiday is declared on that day it would enable voters including government workers and thousands of daily wage workers from unorganised sectors like mining, construction among others to excercise their franchisee.

Over the years Goa has became notorious for its slumlords, who not only oppress and exploit the poor, downtrodden dwellers but also deprive them of their democratic and fundamental rights by forcefully preventing them from exercising their francise, he said.

These slumlords, who routinely keep the local admistration happy are law unto themselves and sell the votes in their slum for a price to unscrupulous politicians and force their diktat on the illiterate residents, he alleged.

''It would be a shame, if even 60 years after attaining independence our people are not able to freely come out and cast