CANACONA
For residents in Marlim-Poinguinim, a remote hamlet at Cotigao wildlife sanctuary, their decades-old dream of a tarred road finally took shape on Thursday when the PWD (Roads) began construction of a 3-km road from Tirval to Marlim at a cost of Rs 66 lakh.
Deputy Speaker and Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes said it was a dream come true and one of his happiest days in his political career, after having provided the remote hamlet with electricity 25 years ago.
Marlim-Tirval had gained national attention when all its voters boycotted the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to protest against the failure by successive governments to provide them with basic facilities like a tarred road.
The road construction work was launched on Thursday in the presence of Fernandes, ZP member (Poinguinim) Shobhana Velip, Poinguinim Sarpanch Jagdish Gaonkar, Dy Sarpanch Elda Fernandes, Loliem-Polem Sarpanch Sachin Naik, Gaondongrim Sarpanch Suman Gaonkar, Cotigao Sarpanch Daya Gaonkar and a local resident Prakash Gaonkar, who did the bhumipujan.
The twin hamlets of Marlim and Tirval, mostly inhabited by the ST Community, are within the Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, under the jurisdiction of Poinguinim panchayat.
In the 1990s, a road was constructed till Tirval and power supply was extended there. However, Marlim is 3 kms ahead and deep inside the wildlife sanctuary lacked road access, causing hardship to locals in the area.
Recently, an old bridge with protruding rusted iron bars at Tirval was repaired at a cost of Rs 12 lakh.
Others present at the function on Thursday included PWD AE Swapnil Desai, JE Rajendra Sawant, a representative of the contractor, BJP Block President Nandip Bhagat and Secretary Damodar Chari.
Sarpanch Jagdish Goankar, who is also ward panch, thanked Fernandes for his personal attention in the project, and said no other politician, not even a minister from their own community, could do what Fernandes had done for residents of Marlim.
Pleased that the road construction work had finally begun in the remote hamlet of Marlim-Poinguinim, Deputy Speaker and Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes recalled the plight of locals who had to struggle for decades to get basic facilities.
“These ST residents have been so ignored that they built a community hall from their own contributions, which could easily have been done by my predecessor, who was minister for five years,” said Fernandes.
Recalling his first interaction with Marlim locals, Fernandes said he had gone to campaign as an independent candidate about 25 years ago.
“The disappointed residents told me that politicians visited the area only to seek votes and once elections were over, no one would bother about basic amenities like electricity in their area.”
“After getting elected first time as independent in Poinguinim constituency, I got then chief minister Digambar Kamat to provide power supply to Marlim. It was a touching moment when on the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi, Kamat blew off a kerosene lamp and switched on an electricity bulb in the locality for the very first time,” said Fernandes.
“After that, I lost, won and also lost the elections. After I lost, there was a minister representing them, but nothing was done to get a road to Marlim.”
Fernandes said the aggrieved locals vented out their anger by boycotting the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
“Authorities promised action, but still nothing moved ahead. Finally with concerted efforts from Chief minister Pramod Sawant, we obtained the forest department’s NOC, valid only for a year, to construct a motorable road through the wildlife sanctuary up to Marlim,” he said.
“After being instrumental to provide electricity supply 25 years ago, I am pleased that I could finally get a road for this most needy section of society,” Fernandes added.
