MARGAO
The key political players in the Margao municipal poll arena remain the same “ Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat and his BJP challengers and Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai and former BJP MLA Damu Naik.
And, so are the age-old issues plaguing the State’s commercial capital “ right from Sonsodo garbage to parking woes, absence of bus stand and traffic management to the utter failure to handle the stray dog menace staring the city.
A glance at the election manifestos released by the BJP-backed Vibrant Margao, Digambar Kamat-backed Model Margao and Vijai Sardesai-led Fatorda Forward lays stress on these and other burning issues, including garbage, parking, bus stand and stray dogs menace et al have remained unresolved over the years.
Take the case of Sonsodo garbage. BJP-backed Vibrant Margao has promised a permanent solution to clean the entire Sonsodo area by 2022 and a total clean-up of Sonsodo by 2024. Digambar Kamat’s Model Margao has handed out a promise to make Margao clean and green, laying stress on scientific management and disposal of garbage. On the other hand, Fatorda Forward’s patron Vijai Sardesai has promised garbage stations and road cleaning machines to ensure dust-free Fatorda.
The BJP has made the absence of a bus stand a major poll issue in the Fatorda area of the city. The issue has found a big mention in Vibrant Margao’s election manifesto, with the party promising an inter-state bus stand, a State bus stand and a city bus stand to be developed by 2025.
No to be left behind, the Fatorda Forward manifesto promises to make the Fatorda Margao Bus Station (FMBS) a reality. Incidentally, the bus stand issue does not find mention in Kamat’s Model Margao manifesto, only promising to put in place an action plan to de-congest the city, city bus services for effective conveyance and an effective traffic management plan. Take note, the bus stand issue has been hanging fire for a decade now when then Chief Minister Digambar Kamat had laid the foundation stone for the bus stand.
Both Vibrant Margao and Fatorda Forward have promised a solution on the stray dog menace. While Fatorda Forward’s manifesto has promised stray dogs management, Vibrant Margao has promised a shelter for 500 dogs with the help of interested NGOs by 2023.
Parking is another burning issue staring at the city over the years. The city is blessed with three open spaces at the old bus stand, old fish market and pick-up stand, but none of these spaces earmarked for parking has a multi-storey facility till date.
Take note, the foundation stone for the multi-storey parking lot was laid before the 2015 Municipal election. Sadly, work is yet to commence on the parking project till date.
That has not stopped the key players to promise to end the parking woes. Vibrant Margao has promised three-dimensional car parking structures in the city and demarcated open parking areas to solve the traffic congestion. Kamat’s Model Margao has offered a solution to the parking woes with demarcated parking zones for two and four-wheelers and other vehicles.
Vibrant Margao has promised to propose to the government to refurbish all heritage houses on the verge of collapse within the Margao Municipal area. Kamat’s Model Margao has promised preservation of architectural marvels and locations. It has also promised conservation of old Hospicio hospital and its precincts as heritage monument.
