Margao: South Goa Member of Parliament (MP) Francisco Sardinha on Wednesday urged the state government to increase testing for COVID-19 in the state as well as sought reduction in excise duty to be paid by bar owners as they had to remain shut for more than two months.

Speaking to media persons at the South Goa district Congress office in Margao, Sardinha said that there is need for more testing to be done.

“The COVID cases in the state have already crossed 700. In my village of Curtorim, now there are 28 cases. I request the government to increase the number of testing centres in the state. There have also been incidents where people who want to be tested have been sent to other centres, this should not happen,” he said, adding that, more ventilators and additional medical facilities should be provided at COVID care centres.  

He also urged the state government to reduce the excise duty to be paid by bar owners. “Restaurants and liquor shops in the state have been opened, but the bars aren’t even though there are social distancing measures in place. Bar owners have already suffered for the past two to three months. The request to the government is to allow opening of bars and provide three months’ exemption on excise duty since they were not open for that period of time,” said Sardinha.

He also urged the government to immediately regularise nurses who are on contract and revert to the old rates of electricity and water charges as many residents in the state were finding it difficult to pay the hefty bills that have been issued.