MARGAO
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao on Thursday made an impassioned plea to all the 40 MLAs to leave behind their differences and join hands to adopt an unanimous resolution in the ensuing Goa Legislative Assembly to cap coal handling at the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT).
Addressing the media, Churchill said the ensuing Assembly session, beginning from January 25 offers a historic opportunity for the Members of the Legislative Assembly, cutting across political affiliations, to unite and adopt an unanimous resolution to resolve the coal issue once and for all. “Let the resolution adopted in the House be the voice of the people of Goa that coal handling beyond a limit should not be handled at the MPT now and in the future,” he said.
Recalling Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s promise that the government would reduce the existing coal handling at the MPT by half, Churchill said, “let the unanimous resolution be the guide for all future governments that coal handling should not exceed prescribed limit at the MPT.”
Saying that coal handling, if goes unchecked, will spell doom for the tourism industry, Churchill made a plea to Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat, Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai and all the MLAs to unite and pass an unanimous resolution in the ensuing Assembly session against coal.
On his absence at the Opinion Poll Day celebrations at the Lohia Maidan, Margao on Saturday, Churchill said while the organisers had invited NCP president Jose Philip D’Souza, they did not invite him for the celebrations. “I was hurt when I learnt that they did not invite me for the programme. I along with my family had gone to Vailankanni on that day, but I would have cancelled the pilgrimage had they informed me earlier about the celebrations,” he said, reiterating that he has not joined the BJP, but has extended only issue-based support to the government.
The NCP lone MLA also unveiled the development he has ushered in Benaulim in the last four years and the projects in the pipeline in the constituency. “The government has sanctioned the 14-bedded Health Centre for Benaulim constituency. Once it takes shape, our people need not travel to Chinchinim or Cansaulim health centres for their health requirements,” he said.
Similarly, Churchill said he has taken up with the government the beach parking project for Benaulim, saying the project was earlier delayed for want of CRZ NOC, but has now received the go-ahead signal for implementation.
While saying that the Colva beautification will be completed in all respects in the near future, Churchill said the Colva creek will be desilted and beautified at a cost of Rs 11 crore.
Saying that he has got the Electricity officials, including the Assistant Engineer and Junior Engineer to prepare estimates for laying of power infrastructure in the constituency costing over Rs 5 crore.
