With rising tempers and raised voices, the Chinchinimvillagers have been lashing out at each other and the current MLA BenjaminD’Silva, along with former MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues, have also been draggedinto the controversy.
“We are opposing a 9,000 sq meter land acquisition broughtabout by the panchayat for a meager 800 sq. mts ‘tinto’ (market square) in thecorner of the project, while the rest of the land will be utilised for anelectricity department, a communidade office, gymnasium, music room while thepanchayat ghar which is accessed mostly by senior citizens is shown on the topfloor of the project,” stated social activist Savio Lopes, who also spearheadedthe FORCE movement in support of English as the medium of Instruction.
“I can’t understand, when land has already been acquired whyis this happening now? Nobody opposed the acquisition process then. The Chichinim market is in shambles and itencroaches on to the main road, endangering so many lives of those who commuteto-fro to Assolna, Cuncolim, Betul, Agonda, Palolem and Canacona,” statedMichael Beny D’Costa of the Goan Seamen Association, who also runs Goa’s mostsuccessful garbage sorting and recycling unit in Chinchinim.
While former MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues who is blamed to havedelayed the project in his tenure as the reason why the the Chinchinim CitizensCommittee faction is fighting for the controversial project to be completedimmediately. “Then I played my role as the legislator to honour the decision ofthe Village Panchayat to acquire land and I supported a new market complex. Butthe panchayat body, in the midst of its egos has come with its own plan to givepreference to banks and commercials structures on the acquired land, while themarket is shown in phase two, which will obviously not go well with thepeople,” stated the former MLA Rodrigues.
Current MLA Benjamin D’Silva, who is keen on the marketproject and supports the villagers idea for quick construction of the market byGSIDC on the acquired land stated, “I think the market project should go on andI have discussed the matter with the Chief Minister, but as I said at theChinchinim gram sabha factors like the nearby school, a large tinto,rehabilitating the fish and pork meat vendors besides moving in the vegetablevendors to ease the chaos on the streets along the highway need to be takeninto account and the existing plans should be modified. A perfect market is forthe locals only to use and should be done with their consent.”
