Shigmo parade held on the traditional Holy Spirit-Municipal square on Sunday contrary to the report from the district police chief to make the old market route a permanent parade route. Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Did the district police and traffic authorities buckle under government pressure or could they not stand up to the powers that be on the question of shifting the Shigmo parade in the commercial capital to the alternate Old Market-Ravindra Bhavan route?
This question has come to the fore after the Shigmo float parade rolled down from the traditional Holy Spirit square-Margao Municipal square on Sunday, contrary to the general expectations that the parade would be shifted to the new route going by the letter dashed off by the Superintendent of Police, South, to the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) in January.
In his letter, SP Prabhudesai had batted strongly for the Old Market-Ravindra Bhavan route for all future float parades, even going to the extent of recommending that this new route be made a permanent venue for float parades in larger public interest and to avoid traffic congestion in the city. Based on this letter, the MMC had shifted the Carnival float parade to the new route, but the letter had no impact on the Shigmo samiti organising the parade.
In fact, a glance at the SP’s letter dated January 15 revealed that the SP was very much concerned about the inconveniences caused to citizens due to the Highway closure to hold parades on the traditional routes. “Due to the closure of the highway to facilitate float parades in the city, immense hardships are caused to motorists and other road users, including ambulances while moving patients from Hospicio hospital and other private hospitals including Grace Cardiac hospital, Mother Care hospital, Borkar hospital, Arcanjio hospital, which are all located in the heart of the city and have to access the highway for moving patients during emergency," SP Prabhudesai said.
He further added, “Organisation of floats on the Holy Spirit square-Margao Municipal square every year affects the entire traffic movement of Margao, resulting in traffic jams and snarls. Due to the yearly float parade, 108 and other private ambulances are blocked for hours together and are unable to move patients in time either to the Hospicio or other hospitals, with people blaming the police for the snarls," SP Prabhudesai added.
That’s not all. While batting for the new parade route, the SP had contended that commuters are also put to great inconveniences due to diversion of the north/south bound buses. He had further stated that the police had to bear the brunt of citizens since most of the medical stores are located in the heart of the city. “Due to road closures, people are unable to get quick access to the medical stores," SP Prabhudesai had said.
In fact, SP Prabhudessai was categorical in his letter that the new route at Old Market is the most suitable and fit route for all future parades, besides the Narkasur competition on grounds that the new route has adequate parking provision on all sides -- joggers park, SGPDA open ground, KTC parking, Ravindra Bhavan parking for VIPs, etc.
