CANACONA: Assessing it as ‘50-50 governance’, Canacona’s Congress MLA Isidore Fernandes said unemployment and some anti-Goan decisions had affected the coalition government as it completes one year in power.
“Being a coalition, the government has become elastic whereby strings are being pulled from all sides as it continues to hold on to power,” said Fernandes.
He admitted that Canacona constituency has had many problems, prominent among them being issues on employment, healthcare, water and garbage.
“Employment is slow as the government has no projects in the pipeline. It has not introduced any either. Canacona still needs more to be done in healthcare facilities by introducing new doctors and services at the Community Health Centre.”
“People have miserably suffered for the entire year for want of water supply, but better days are expected. Thanks to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar and the principal chief engineer, we are anticipating more works to begin soon.”
“Works worth Rs 19 crore have been tendered for water pipelines, overhead tanks and cleaning of the Water Treatment Plant, while the chief minister has allotted Rs 18 crore works to each MLA,” Fernandes added.
Asked for his analysis of the government and its governance during the one year, Fernandes replied: “It’s 50-50 more because of the financial crunch and a lot of decision which the government had taken were against the Goans.”
“Developments are pursued at the cost of heavy borrowings which has opened the state to a debt trap, while coal transportation and nationalization of rivers were some of the anti-Goan decisions of this government,” explained the MLA.
Fernandes believed he had satisfied his constituents in his first year of the present term, even though their expectations were high.
“Expectations of my constituents are very high and most importantly, everyone wants everything completed and achieved at quick pace. The trend of shortcuts and fastest results in all public works is, however, a matter of concern,” said Fernandes.
