Cecil, I largely agree with you. I too feel that Selma’s comments are grossly exaggerated.
Panjim was a beautiful city then and it continues to be a beautiful city now. It was badly managed then and it continues to be badly managed now, especially by the present CCP Council which stinks. However, the facilities are much better now then they used to be in those days and in that sense you are right when you say that Panjim has only improved and has by no means deteriorated. Of course, Panjim city really started taking shape during Manohar Parrikar’s tenure as the Chief Minister and we must give the city MLA the due credit for that. If you can recollect, the Children’s Park was in such a pathetic condition 20 years back, with little children hardly frequenting it. Ditto with the city bus-stand which too was a big mess. For the cinema buffs, watching a movie was nothing short of going through an Ordeal, with theatres in an unhygienic condition, rats moving all around and seats infected with bugs. The city lacked so many other facilities too. Today, the city can boast of having a World Class Multiplex, with at least 5 to 6 ‘Film Festivals’ held every year, giving the city residents plenty of scope for fun and entertainment, all year round. The Children’s Park with its improved lawns, fountains, swings and other play-stations too is in a much better shape than it used to be earlier. We organize so many of our programmes and events there. The Kala Academy too is much improved. The Park cum Garden in Caranzalem has been beautifully developed. The city Bus-stand is much better organized now; the Ambedkar Garden in its vicinity is another place that has been wonderfully developed along with the ‘Spring’ at Boca de Vaca. Then for the sportsmen, sports facilities are much better, whether at the Indoor Stadium at Campal or the Oratory in Don Bosco’s or the Gasper Dias at Miramar. In brief, Panjim is more appealing today than it was in the past. Having said that, the city Garden and the Campal Football stadium have gone from bad to worse. But with a more responsive Government and a more efficient and honest CCP, these can be put back to shape too. Cheers, Sandeep
