MARGAO
If Churchill took up the issue of damaged roads during the weekend to issue a warning to the MLA that he would take to the streets if these were not restored within three months, Caitu hit back hard at his rival on Wednesday telling him to stop fooling the people of Benaulim.
The MLA came to the media accompanied by sarpanchas of at least four out of the seven panchayats in Benaulim constituency in an apparent bid to show Churchill he still holds sway over the local bodies. Churchill had earlier claimed he enjoys hold over some of the panchayats.
Launching a scathing attack on the former PWD Minister, the Benaulim MLA on Wednesday asked Churchill to stop fooling the people for political gains, asserting that he has been instrumental in taking up a host of infrastructural projects in the constituency during the last four-and-half years.
Reacting to Churchill’s warning to agitate if roads in Benaulim constituency are not repaired and restored within three months, Caitu pointed out that Churchill has set the three-month deadline after realizing that the roads will be restored in the constituency by October 10. “Churchill had set the three-month deadline after realizing that all the roads will be repaired and restored by October 10. He is only fooling the people. He had in the past fooled the people on issues such as Mopa airport. Churchill should answer as to how many times he has opposed the Mopa airport at the Cabinet meetings and whether he and his brother had attended these meetings when decisions on Mopa were taken. During the 2012 election, he had vowed to quit politics if defeated in Navelim, but has set his eyes on Benaulim. Churchill had once thundered from the Lohia Maidan that he would never join the Congress, but is trying to contest from Benaulim on the Congress ticket,” Caitu asserted.
Flanked by the sarpanchas of Cavelossim, Viola D’Costa, Gaudencio Luis (Orlim), Leslie Dourado (Seraulim), Tercy Fernandes (Varca), besides former sarpanchas Snowkon Gonsalves and Reginaldo Rodrigues and panchas, the Benaulim MLA told the media that the people of Benaulim had rejected Churchill in the 2002 Assembly election and daughter Valanka in the 2012 election.
The Benaulim MLA pointed out that he has succeeded in initiating a number of developmental projects in the constituency, including the underground cabling, sewerage project, water supply, widening of Colva-Margao road etc. “Benaulim was always represented by a minister all these years, they failed to bring these projects in the constituency. The government has now approved sewerage project costing Rs 355 crore covering the entire constituency, right from Benaulim to Cavelossim,” Caitu said, while demanding to know why his predecessors had failed to get all these infrastructural projects in the constituency during their tenure.
