MAPUSA
“Politicians like Ramakant Khalap and Surendra Sirsat took benefit of govt largesse and cornered plots in industrial estates either on personal or in name of their kin, something which MLAs in ‘70s never did,” Pankar said.
Pankar was speaking at the road naming ceremony in Mapusa, where local MLA and Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza was present as the chief guest.
A road in Ward 17 in Khorlim-Mapusa was named after former Mapusa MLA late Raghuvir (Kaka) Shanu Pankar, uncle of Ramesh Pankar.
Late Raghuvir (Kaka) Shanu Pankar was a legislator in the ‘70s.
“Kaka Pankar never took benefit of government largesse even though it was there for the taking in those days too,” Pankar said eulogizing his uncle MLA.
He said legislators and politicians of yester years hardly took any benefit from the government munificence and lived a modest life.
A staunch supporter and a leading light of MGP, Khalap was president of MGP in early ‘80s and an MLA, dy CM and union minister.
Surendra Sirsat was president of MGP in late ‘80s and was elected as the MLA of Mapusa on MGP ticket for three terms. Two roads were named after eminent persons of Mapusa on Sunday.
The road from Poornima Hotel to Raghuvir (Kaka) Shanu Pankar’s residence was named after the late MLA and another road from Poornima Hotel to Shrirang Narvekar was name after Freedom Fighter, late Tukaram Hirve in Ward 13.
In his address, Deputy CM Francis D’Souza said people always compare the work of elected representatives. “There’s a big difference with people’s expectations then and their expectation now. The gap of comparison also is huge,” D’Souza said.
He said late Kaka Pankar was a simple man and did his best as per the condition that existed then. He also complimented the work of freedom fighters to give Goa its freedom and a platform for the politicians.
“The roads name after these eminent personalities must be used by the residents in their correspondence. Only then people will remember them,” the deputy chief minister said.
Ulhas Hirve (son of Tukaram Hirve), Ulhas Pankar (son of Kaka Pankar), Nandkishore Arolkar (Asst Director of RTO), Carlos Gonsalves (musician), Dr Ramkrishna Moraskar (social worker) and Narayan Ratwad (social worker) were felicitated on the occasion.
