Mapusa's crisis management outsourced to Chief Minister

MAPUSA

Mapusa, once considered the vibrant commercial hub of North Goa, today paints a grim picture of administrative decay, civic neglect and failed local leadership.

From overflowing drains and cratered roads to mounting garbage and stagnant infrastructure, the town has reached a tipping point – and the recent intervention by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is a stark indicator of how deep the rot runs.

Sawant’s unexpected visit to the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) on Tuesday night – his first in nearly four years – was not a routine administrative inspection.

It was a rescue mission, a desperate attempt to salvage a crumbling town that had become symbolic of how local governance can falter when leadership becomes complacent or incompetent.

Accompanied by Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza, the CM spent two hours listening to grievances from councillors and issuing direct instructions to department heads, ranging from patching potholes to clearing clogged drains and ensuring garbage is picked up efficiently.

The visit, however, raised uncomfortable questions about why the Chief Minister had to personally intervene in a town governed by elected councillors and represented by a sitting MLA from the ruling party.

A town crying 

for attention

Despite being the administrative capital of Bardez taluka, Mapusa lags far behind other towns in terms of basic amenities and infrastructure. For over two decades, residents have demanded a Ravindra Bhavan – a cultural centre that most major towns in Goa already possess.

The disrepair is not limited to infrastructure. There is a glaring absence of political will, bureaucratic efficiency and citizen confidence. Drains lie choked, the sewerage system remains underutilised and roads resemble obstacle courses.

During the very first pre-monsoon shower, the town nearly went underwater –not due to natural fury, but due to man-made neglect.

Leadership in 

question

The most scathing indictments have come not from political rivals, but from the town’s own residents.

A Mapusa local, Mahesh Rane bluntly stated that the CM’s visit was a vote of no-confidence in the local MLA’s ability to handle the town’s affairs.

“It reflects poorly on the leadership that the CM had to intervene to get even the most basic work done,” he said.

Opposition councillor Shashank Narvekar echoed the sentiment, sarcastically remarking that the CM should make biannual visits to Mapusa – not to inaugurate new projects, but simply to ensure the town functions.

Social worker Sanjay Barde highlighted a deeper issue: “There are 13 municipalities and one corporation in the State, but only Mapusa required the Chief Minister’s intervention. This says everything about the failure of local leadership and administration.”

Adding to the public frustration, Jitesh Kamat, president of Shiv Sena (UBT)’s local unit, criticised the elected councillors for their absence and indifference.

His remarks were particularly pointed in reference to recent reports of councillors vacationing in Dubai even as Mapusa reeled under flooding and filth.

Where the buck stops

The Chief Minister may have done some tough talking with government officers, but significantly, he spared the councillors – many of whom bear direct responsibility for the town’s decline.

While officials were told to act on cleaning nullahs and restoring roads, there was no public admonishment of the elected representatives who have let Mapusa down time and again.

 Pramod Sawant’s visit should have been a moment of reflection for Mapusa’s leadership. Instead, it laid bare their inadequacies. The sight of the state’s top executive issuing instructions to junior-level officers – for tasks that should have been routinely managed by the municipal body – is not just embarrassing; it’s damning.