(File photo) Floats parading along the traditional Holy Spirit Church square-Margao Municipal Council square
We are planning to shift the route to the Old Market to ease traffic congestion. There’s been suggestions coming from the traffic and citizens as well for shifting of the parade route to the Old Market,"
Dr Babita Angle Prabhudesai, MMC chairperson
MARGAO
Will the Carnival float parade along the traditional Holy Spirit Church square-Margao Municipal square be a thing of the past as the MMC is batting on the new route at Old market?
Well, the new Margao Municipal Council headed by Chairperson Dr Babita Angle Prabhudesai is seriously toying with the idea of shifting the 2016 Carnival float parade to the District Court-Ravindra Bhavan road.
The issue came up before the Council meeting held on Thursday to constitute the Carnival committee for the Carnival celebration early next year. After the meeting, it was decided to constitute a committee headed by Councillor Tito Cardozo as working president, Doris Texeira and Lyndon Pereira as working vice-presidents, treasurer Angelis Pereira and Chief Officer Siddivinayak Naik as the Secretary. The Chairperson is the ex-officio chairman of the committee.
Briefing the media, Chairperson Babita said there’s been pressure on the civic body to shift the Carnival parade to the Old Market, along the Court-Ravindra Bhavan route to ease traffic congestion in the city. “We are seriously considering the proposal in close coordination with the Traffic department how to go about in shifting the parade route from the traditional Holy Spirit square-Municipal square route," she said.
The chairperson further pointed out that the Margao Municipality is planning to have the Carnival fiesta on four days, between 6-9 in the city in association with a local group 'We for Fatorda'. “We are planning to shift the route to the Old Market to ease traffic congestion. There’s been suggestions coming from the traffic and citizens as well for shifting of the parade route to the Old Market," she said.
After his election as president of the Margao Carnival Committee, Councillor Tito told the media that the last Council had also decided to shift the parade route to the Old Market, but it could not materialise for want of infrastructure. “Now, the culvert on the SGPDA nullah is in place, we can plan the parade shifting to the new location. There can be organised sitting arrangements, besides giant screens along the route for people to have a view of the parade," Tito said, but hastened to add that the proposal will be finalised only after taking all stakeholders, including the traffic authorities into confidence.
The Madgaon Shigmotsav Samiti patronised by MLAs Digambar Kamat and Vijai Sardesai had last year held the Shigmo parade along the district Court-Ravindra Bhavan road, marking the shifting of the parade to the Old Market area.
