Much heat and high drama in Fatorda over naming of roads

Drama unfolded along the Fatorda road around Saturday noon after Margao Municipal Council workers moved to remove the boards installed by Goencho Avaaz to name a road after Padmashree Bakibab Borkar and Jack Sequeira, only to be brought back and left on the ground at the location by the civic workers.

Taken completely by surprise, MMC workers were believed to have removed the two boards, even as Chairperson Pooja Naik said the Margao Municipal Council have the highest regard for Padmashree Bakibab Borkar and all other icons of Goa.

As the MMC Chairperson stated that the new Chief Officer, who is likely to take charge on Monday, will examine the issue, the boards returned back at the very same place. The boards were lying on the ground for some time.

Chairperson Pooja Naik said she failed to understand how a group of people can simply come and name roads in Fatorda without following any due process of law.

Commenting on the decision of Goencho Avaaz to name the Fatorda road after Padmashree Bakibab Borkar and Jack Sequeira ahead of the naming of the same road after former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Pooja said, “We are examining the matter. The new Chief Officer is likely to take charge on Monday and he will examine the issue”.

She said it was brought to her notice that around 40 individuals have put up boards naming roads in Fatorda constituency. “This has come at a time when a group of BJP and Congress councillors have challenged legally adopted resolution to erect a statue of Jack Sequeira at the traffic island at Ravindra Bhavan; naming of the road from Arlem Circle to Ravindra Bhavan Circle as ‘Manohar Parrikar Road; naming the area around Hospicio Hospital as Padre Miranda Square; naming traffic island Bolshe Circle in Gogol as ‘St Joaquim Circle; naming of traffic island at Gogol-Housing Board junction as ‘Florian Vaz Circle’; naming of road from Salgaonkar house leading to Siddhanath Buyao’s house as ‘Ulhas Buyao Road’ and remaining of Varde Valaulikar Road as ‘Shenoi Goembab Road,’” she added.