FOR VIEWERS OF PANAJI
BY ELECTION FOR PANAJI SEAT In view of mounting pressure by various parties mainly BJP, Congress and Independent certain candidatures are keen in getting elected as MLA position for the Panaji seat, due to sudden assignment of our Chief Minister of Goa Manohar Parrikar to go to Delhi as a Defence Minister by the Union Government. This vacancy is now created for the Panjim seat and many candidates are eyeing for this position. What could be the criteria for such an interest when a great leader Parrikar could not complete anything during his tenure but in fact he left many projects/jobs incomplete? Whoever is elected there is definitely a personal interest as there are many enough pending cases to keep them happy although hardly less tenure is left to complete its term of this present BJP Government. The following are the pending issues/projects which can be categorized in two different parts; First part: St Ines Creek, Shifting of Casinos from Mandovi river, Underground Sewage work, 11 KV High Tension underground cabling, Water line removal from old plastic pipes to a new non corrosive metal piping, Panjim roads concretization as well areas in Taleigao , Merces and the whole of Tiswadi, Captain of Ports Jetty, Shifting of Sharad Mandir School as it is found always crowded along with the foot Bridge, Dona Paula Jetty up gradation, GMC Bambolim Hospital up gradation, Patto to St. Cruz over bridge, Shifting of Casinos, City Parking, Garbage problems, Traffic lights in Panjim, Shunting out of Panjim of Military buildings and other occupancies, and Up gradation of whole of Panjim as per the CCP plan, Panjim New Market development, city drainage etc. Second Part: CCP staff salaries, Collection of House rent, Pay Parking, Water for 24 hrs, Uninterrupted Electricity power supply, Dredging of Mandovi river, Archives on line, Taxis and Autos compliances with meter and GPS with call facility centre, Tenancy acts amendment, football stadium ground shifting to Merces by naming it as Modi Stadium instead of Bandodkar stadium at Campal as it will be this city severely congested with traffic on the main road Miramar to Panjim, Fixing of proper House Rent, Miramar Beach cleanness, Pollution Control and Environment solution, Goa State Management Authority not yet properly functional ( GCZMA), Unemployment , Govt. important offices on line, FDA not properly functional etc We see, enthusiastic players having plans of jumping from one party to another or even withdrawals at the last moment to get their benefit to a certain interested candidate, because this position of MLA in Panjim appears to be a lucrative post. There are few who have already been seen earlier buttering Parrikar by giving flowers bouquets and hugging him openly. If at all some one who do not agree with me, it is for them to know a proverb in Portuguese “Adjusta o Carapuso “it means the hat if it suits them. Parrikar has already taught a lesson for U-turn technology and now they are experts. If at all you question them a immediate answer comes ; THIS IS POLITICS. Let us wait and see; what we require for the Panaji seat is a candidate with good moral character, sincere, intelligent, educated and non corrupt. Stephen Dias D.Paula Date: 28th Nov.2014 IN CONTINUATION OF EDITORIAL FROM HERALD OF TODAY DATE 28TH NOVEMBER 2014 BY SUJAY GUPTA STATED BELOW, I HAVE MY OWN ADDITIONAL VERSION AS MENTIONED ABOVE FOR WHOMSOEVER CANDIDATE IS TRYING FOR A MLA POSITION FOR PANAJI TO DELIVER THE GOODS. BEST OF LUCK. Stephen Dias D.Paula *Who will be Panjim’s Abe Faria and breathe life into a stagnating city?* Panjim was once the proud capital of Goa. Part of the city’s ancient splendour barely survives, casting a spellbinding lure on discerning international and domestic tourists. The city’s landmark heritage buildings, the colourful villas, streets and promenades which give the city its unmatched singularity, lie in a state of neglect, alongside crumbling infrastructure. In this context, Panjim’s most iconic statue of Abe Faria which also lies neglected, is a loud metaphor of ‘ a city gone to sleep,’ in contrast to the ancient lore, of Panjim as a land that never floods. Politically, the city was and remains a no man’s land and is flooded with neglect at every corner. It had no powerful or visionary MLA to resurrect the city. In fact, though chief ministers lived at their official residence at Panjim, none of them were ever elected from the city, except for Manohar Parrikar who represented the constituency for nearly four terms, though from Mapusa. His brief stint between 2000 and 2004 enkindled some hope of resurrecting Panjim, but his 2012- 14 tenure left nothing to write home about. Parrikar’s sudden resignation has left a void in the political mindspace throwing the field wide open to a number of players from all shades of political affiliations. Though the major players -- the BJP and Congress, are yet to disclose their strategy and candidates, the Santa Cruz MLA Atanasio Monserrate has not only thrown his hat in the ring by declaring that he will contest as an Independent, but put a date on his election campaign launch – December 8, the feast of Immaculate Conception, even as the by elections has not been announced yet. Mayor Surendra Furtado himself has espoused his candidature for the Congress ticket before the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Luizinho Faleiro. As usual the Congress indecision on selecting a candidate as it happened in 2012 when Yatin Parekh who pulled strings in Delhi became a last minute candidate, outwitting Furtado, this year too surprises maybe in store. The BJP too has many contenders including former Mayor Vaidehi Naik, Siddharth Kuncolienkar or even Atmaram Nadkarni both of who had been close confidants of Parrikar. The question is will any of the candidates vying for the capital seat, prove to be Abe Faria for Panjim, and breathe life into the city? In his first stint Parrikar promised the moon and actually delivered on some fronts such as improving traffic circulation with the new Patto bridges, expansion of the Dayanand Bandodkar road and promenade, the construction of the city market and multiplex. However some of his plans such as demolishing of the old Goa Medical College were a disastrous misadventure, firmly opposed by activists. However, in his 2012- 2014 stint Parrikar basically did nothing for the city. Monserrate has promised to work on the already drafted Master Plan and claims will deliver on Parrikar’s ‘ pipe dreams’ for the city. Monserrate promises to put forth a People’s plan for the city through collaborative door to door visits. The constant battle between the Corporation of the City of Panjim which was controlled by Monserrate and the BJP MLA Parrikar led to neglect and decay of the city. The CCP was not only starved for routine government grants to pay salaries, but even for JNNURM funds which were released by Centre of DPRs prepared by the CCP for a city sewerage proposal and another for cleaning of the St Inez Creek for which about Rs 90 crores were sanctioned through the efforts of the Mayor Surendra Furtado. Furtado’s early forays to make a difference to the city, were cut short by Parrikar, since Furtado emerged as a threat to his seat. But the Mayor did get a number of projects done including getting various vehicles sponsored by Banks and private sector under CSR. Whatever the political calculus, Panjim desperately needs to sort out its parking and traffic circulation plan. Infrastructure requires a major overhaul. The second phase of market and construction of a fish market are the dire need of the hour. The heritage quotient of the city has to be restored. There is need for a rapid mass transport system, preferably with electric vehicles and large free parking areas outside to decongest the city of cars, illegal hawkers, beggars and chaos. There should be promotion of car sharing, pay parking and pedestrian only avenues to make the city a pleasurable experience. Whomsoever the city decides on, to represent it, we need an MLA with vision, resources and commitment to restore the city as a worthy capital of India’s best small State and more than upgradation of infrastructure and aesthetics and being a model city, Panjim has to recover its soul.
