-- Samir Umarye
By SAMIR UMARYE BICHOLIM While two bus stands in Bicholim taluka lack basic facilities and have been largely ignored by authorities, the two bus stands in Sattari taluka have all facilities, but are yet to be fully utilised for different reasons altogether On paper, there are four major bus stands in Bicholim and Sattari talukas but all four of them have largely been ineffective due to one reason or the other. While two bus stands in Bicholim taluka lack basic facilities and have been largely ignored by authorities, the two bus stands in Sattari taluka have all facilities, but are yet to be fully utilised for different reasons altogether. “No doubt, we have two bus stands in Bicholim and Sattari talukas, but all of them have been ignored by authorities. There is a lot that could be done with regards to the Bicholim bus stand, but nothing has materialized even though the matter has been highlighted again and again,” remarked Aashish Narvekar told Herald. A commuter or visitor to the Bicholim bus stand will either be confronted by stray cattle at the entrance or by potholes, which are now filled with uneven stones. The situation inside the bus stand is no better. The sign boards displaying the village destinations have been destroyed long ago, while some shopkeepers have freely extended their material outside their premises. There is no proper parking facility and several two-wheelers are parked along every corner of the bus stand, including no-parking zones. “A waiting/first aid room, safe drinking water and proper toilet facility should have been a bare requirement at this bus stop. Passengers from various places, including Panjim, Valpoi, Ponda, Marcels and elsewhere come to this bus stand,” Narvekar added. Another resident, Sattayawan Harmalkar, felt that the Bicholim bus stand was not properly utilized. “Recently, the bus stand was renovated. But if the RTO and other government offices were allotted space on the first floor of the bus stand, it would have been of great help to those visiting Bicholim. In addition, the top floor could also be developed into a shopping complex by the KTC,” said Harmalkar. If Bicholim bus stand has lost its charm, the situation at the Sanquelim bus stand is equally dismal. The Sanquelim bus stand is plagued with similar problems and passengers have to face hardships, especially during the rainy season. Some of the benches have been damaged in the bus stand. “We need the Sanquelim bus stand to be fully functional on a priority basis, as people are facing problems in the absence of proper seating and toilet facilities. So many good projects were provided by the Congress to Sanquelim. The BJP should, at least, bring a good project to Sanquelim,” said Sunita Verekar of Sanquelim and general secretary of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee. While the two bus stands in Bicholim taluka lack necessary infrastructure, the bus stands at Sattari have all the requisite facilities, but are yet to be put to proper use. The Honda bus stand was inaugurated in October 2009, while the Velus-Valpoi bus stand was inaugurated in February 2014. The Honda bus stand has 21 shops, a waiting lounge, a reservation ticket counter for the KTC, toilet facility and parking slots. But all these facilities are lying vacant. The Valpoi bus stand had even won the Best Architectural Design in the Recreational Design category at the prestigious Architectural and Design Awards 2013, instituted by Architecture + Design magazine. Despite the facilities, both bus stands still remain unused. “We believe that there are some technical problems with regards to the Valpoi bus stand, while the Honda bus stand is deserted by public as it is far away from the main market,” remarked a resident from Valpoi. When contacted the BJP state secretary, Shilpa Naik, insisted that the State government is committed to the development of Bicholim. “Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has adopted Bicholim and he will see to it that development is carried out in Bicholim. We also want that all the work is carried out in a phased manner,” Naik said. Attempts to contact Sanquelim MLA Dr Pramod Sawant proved futile as his phone was out of coverage on Sunday morning.
