MAPUSA
With Mapusa Congress candidate Sudhir Kandolkar and some councillors in tow, former minister Michael Lobo walked with a swagger while ‘inspecting’ the vegetable market in Mapusa on Monday and assuring to give a facelift to the badly maintained structure but only if his candidate is elected to power.
Lobo, who has been crisscrossing that State to campaign for Congress-Goa Forward alliance candidates, touched Mapusa at around noon.
While walking around the market constructed at a cost of Rs 4.25 crore five years ago, the former minister and Calangute MLA nodded at the vendors and requested them to vote for “hand” in this election.
“One look at this market gives an impression that the Mapusa civic body is not functioning. The local MLA and the chairperson must have not come here. Once Sudhir (candidate) becomes the MLA this market will be cleaned, painted and the non-functioning fans replaced. I give my word,” Lobo told a group of journalists who were present at the inspection.
It's an open secret that Sudhir Kandolkar has been a close aide of Lobo.
The construction of the vegetable market has a history of its own. The work on the market was taken up by the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) in 2005 and was finally completed after 10 long years in March 23, 2016.
“The vendors don’t have a toilet and drinking water facility in this market. It’s my promise to provide a drinking water facility here. We will clean both the vegetable and the fish market,” Lobo said.
Interestingly, the present Congress candidate Sudhir Kandolkar has always been a member of the Mapusa Municipal Council including being a chairperson for several terms.
Kandolkar’s association with l’affaire de Mapusa market as a councillor and chairperson is well chronicled which has earned him negative points.
According to Kandolkar, the market did not have all the required facilities and the Mapusa MLA (Joshua D’Souza) has failed to apply his mind on the market.
“The vendors don’t have a place to store their goods at the end of the day. The vendors are forced to pack their goods and take them home. They need several other facilities,” Kandolkar opined.
Slamming the policies of the BJP government, Lobo said small businessmen have suffered tremendously due to increase in tax and rise in petrol/diesel price.
“Tackling price rise is beyond the control of the BJP. That is why Congress government has to come to power. Only then people will get relief,” Lobo rationalized.
