F or several years Mayem has been grappling with several land- related issues including the evacuee property, which has been simmering across the area.
The issue will be a major agenda for the voters of Mayem, though the BJP- led government had claimed to have resolved it, but on the contrary, the victims feel otherwise. Mayem too has been hit by unemployment, pollution and poor infrastructure but a solution seem to elude the constituency. The constituency has witnessed change in guard be it MGP under late Shashikala Kakodkar’s period, Congress and now BJP with Speaker Anant Shet elected for the last two terms, nothing much has changed. The famous “ ya ya Maya ya” still reverberates the air in the constituency but the beauty of Mayem lake is fading. The constituency comprises of the panchayats of Mayem- Vaiguinim, Narve, Shirgao, Pilgao, Ona- Maulingem - Kudchirem, Sarvan- Karapur and the recently included Chorao Island. The people here have been complaining of unemployment, pollution and poor infrastructure. Well before the polls, the locals have already geared up and have been highlighting the evacuee property and proposed Chorao bridge issues. As the BJP tried to solve most problems relating to the evacuee property the Mayem Bhoo Vimochan Nagrik Kruti Samiti was not satisfied with the sanads provided by the government. The samiti president Kashinath Mayekar came down heavily on the BJP claiming it a “ political stunt”. “ We will not vote for BJP as they have not solved the issue completely and has kept it pending”, Mayekar said. Besides the evacuee property issue there are issues such as mokashe land at Maulinguem and government land at Kudchirem and they seem to be never- ending. “ The people from Maulinguem and Kudchirem cannot even take the benefit of agriculture schemes. If elected, we will solve the land issues in Maulinguem and Kudchirem through the Tenancy Act. We would accord priority to these issues,” Goa Suraksha Manch candidate Atmaram Gaonkar assured. The long pending demand of Chorao villagers has been the construction of the bridge and almost all governments seem to have ignored the same. Just before the elections when the locals took up the issue, the BJP- led government “ hurriedly” tried to acquire the land and even a tender was floated. But the people are not satisfied and have questioned the government as to why it failed to look into the matter for all these years. Mayem constituency is also famous for its lake and temples. The government has already commenced the work to develop the lake while the renovation and beautification work of some temples including the one at Vargao will begin soon. The victory of the candidate in the constituency would depend on the one who will convince the voters in solving the major problems of Mayem. This time, the BJP has fielded Pravin Zantye, who earlier contested twice from Mayem and failed to get elected. The first meeting of Zantye, which was held recently could well be considered as success and he was able to pull most BJP karyakartas on his side and more so because many youth attended the meeting. “ My first priority would be to bring an industry in the constituency and create employment,” Zantye said. “ Our family has always been into social work and I would do my best to solve the problems in Mayem.” The support from Anant Shet’s group would further increase Zantye’s prospects. Though Zantye thinks of sailing through with the help of his BJP karyakartas and his supporters from Congress, but there seems to be a mix of caste and politics in Mayem. Some have alleged that Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has supported a Saraswat in Zantye. Others claim that Zantye is an ‘ outsider’ and people should vote only for a local candidate. This time the Congress has introduced a new face in Santosh Sawant, who in his manifesto claims to solve the land issues in Mayem, Maulinguem and Kudchirem. Besides he also plans to restore Mayem Lake’s lost glory and has promised new panchayat buildings in each panchayat. “ The voters in Mayem are now educated and they understand what is right and wrong. We do not need a candidate, who is imported from some other constituency. People will vote for me being a local candidate, who has always been at their service,” Sawant added. Besides the above candidates, AAP’s Adv Ajitsingh Rane played an active role in the Mayem evacuee issue and also took up mining- related issues in the constituency. Former Mayem panch Subhash Kinalkar filed his nomination as NCP candidate. Besides this, there are three Independents -- Ashok Gaonkar, Prabhakar Gaonkar and Deepak Dhawaskar. 1991 Dr. Wilfred de Souza The people from Maulinguem and Kudchirem cannot even take the benefit of agriculture schemes. If elected, we will solve the land issues in Maulinguem and Kudchirem through the Tenancy Act. We would accord priority to these issues — Atmaram Gaonkar, Goa Suraksha Manch candidate My first priority would be to bring an industry in the constituency and create employment. Our family has always been into social work and I would do my best to solve the problems in Mayem — Pravin Zantye, BJP candidate The voters in Mayem are now educated and they understand what is right and wrong. We do not need a candidate, who is imported from some other constituency. People will vote for me being a local candidate, who has always been at their service — Santosh Sawant, Congress candidate CONSTITUENCY WATCH: MAYEM . 16
