the goan I network
MAPUSA
Four years completion of Narendra Modi government at the Centre brought BJP karyakatas to the statue of freedom fighter, educationist and son of the soil, Edward Soares, whose statue stands tall at the main circle in Aldona.
The Aldona BJP mandal and karyakatas on Sunday carried out cleaning of the statue of the noted educationist and the surroundings.
The karyakatas also took up brooms and cleaned the Martyrs Memorial platform a few kilometers away in neighbouring Pomburpa.
“Swachhata Abhiyan was held today to mark four years of Modi government. At Martyrs Memorial Pomburpa and at Edward Soares (who was the founder principal of St Thomas High School, Aldona) circle Aldona,” said Franky Carvalho, President of Aldona BJP Mandal.
But not all in Aldona were amused with the ruling party’s Sunday swachhata act and termed it as a publicity stunt.
“Where were all these BJP supporters for the last so many years? Only after completion of four years of Modi’s government have they come to know about the statue?” asked Oldrin Pereira, a resident of Aldona.
He said that the lights used to illuminate the statue had stopped functioning five years ago and nobody, not even the local panchayat, bothered to correct that. “If they were really interested in doing something for the statue they should restore the power connection immediately,” he said.
Pereira disclosed that the students of the St Thomas (Boys) High School and one, Patrick Lobo took the responsibility to keep the surroundings of the statue clean.
He further disclosed that the road from Toyar, Aldona up to the statue at Aldona circle was named after the famous educationist and is called “Edward Soares Marg”.
Aldona BJP mandal secretary and former Pomburpa-Olaulim, Sarpanch, Vinay Chopdekar, Aldona Sarpanch, Dipak Naik, Ucassaim Sarpanch, George D’Souza and others took part in the Swachhata Abhiyan.
