SANGUEM
A livid Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar boycotted the inaugural function of Sangeum Municipal Council (SMC) Rest House on Tuesday after protesting against the inclusion of the former MLA Subhash Phaldessai’s name on the plaque.
The SMC Rest House was inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar in the presence of Sanguem Municipal Council Chairperson Queiroz Cruz and other councillors.
Though the names of Chief Minister Pramod sawant, Minister for Urban Development Milind Naik and Power Minister Nilesh Cabral were prominently displayed on the plaque, none of them made it for the inaugural functional and it was left for Kavlekar to inaugurate the Rest House.
Tension prevailed at the venue prior to the inaugural function as local MLA Prasad Gaonkar along with his supporters questioned SMC Chairperson Queiroz Cruz and other officials over the inclusion of ex-MLA Subhash Phaldessai’s name on the plaque.
Gaonkar confronted authorities on whether it fitted in the protocol to include names of ex-MLAs on the plaque or whether it was a trend followed in Sanguem constituency.
As Cruz and other municipal officials failed to provide an answer, Gaonkar waited for the arrival of Kavlekar and then questioned Kavlekar at the doorstep of the Rest House over the inclusion of Phaldessai’s name on the plaque.
Kavlekar tried to pacify Gaonkar but he was in mood to listen and when Kavlekar was also unable to provide an answer, a furious Goankar and his supporters left the venue without attending the inaugural function.
Gaonkar accused the BJP government for interfering even in small matters.
“It is an irony that in Sanguem constituency, there is a new trend to include the name of ex-MLA Subhash Phaldessai on government-related projects. This is the second time that such an incident has happened in my constituency,” Gaonkar told reporters.
Meanwhile, speaking at the inaugural function, Kavlekar lauded the SMC for constructing the Rest House under the Golden Jubilee funds allocated by the Government.
Though the Rest House is not ready in all respects, Kavlekar assured the CMS to discuss the matter with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to make some provision to allot additional funds to SMC under the 14th Finance Commission to complete the pending works on furnishings and installation of electrical fixtures.
Kavlekar also reiterated that the State government has not permanently closed the Sanjivani Sugar Factory.
"A final decision on the working of Sanjivani Sugar factory will be taken at a special meeting to at Panaji on Wednesday,” said Kavlekar.
He appealed to sugarcane cultivators not to get carried away with several meetings conducted by politicians and other newly formed committees in villages.
SMC Chairperson Queiroz Cruz and councillors Romualdo Fernandes, Sandesh Kossambe, Sanjay Raikar and Caitano Martins Fernandes also spoke on the occasion.
