MARGAO
Saying that he has come to play a T-20 cricket match with an intention to hit every ball for a six, TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai on Tuesday asserted that his positive political compromise has started paying rich dividends with long pending developments works worth hundreds of crores of rupees underway in Fatorda constituency.
Justifying his decision to join hands with the BJP to form the coalition government, Sardesai made it plain clear that he made the political compromise to get preferential treatment for Fatorda and for the benefit of the his constituents. “I have entered the arena to play a T-20 match with the aim of hitting every ball for a six. I have not come here to play a test match. That does not mean that I cannot play a test match. You can score big runs in test match as was done by Gary Sobers when he hit 325 in a one such match,” he said, while putting to rest speculations whether he is rushing in with development works keeping in mind mid-term elections in mind, saying that election and political stability is the realm of speculation.
He was speaking to the media after laying the foundation stone for the commencement of work of the fifth feeder for conversion of overhead electricity cables to underground at a cost of Rs 25 crore. Sardesai said one should remember that people consider their representative a failure if he does not get their issues settled within a time frame.
“I had decided to support Manohar Parikar by making a political comprise so that the people benefit. What I have shown during the last one year is that we made the positive political compromise and the locals have benefitted,” he said.
Saying that his political comprise has paid rich dividends, the TCP Minister said that six major development works have got underway in Fatorda in one year, while disclosing plan to take up the KTC bus terminus and the Fatorda lake projects in the next one year.
He said work on the North main sewerage project costing Rs 93 crore has started in Fatorda, adding that the Fatorda police station, post office at Fatorda besides the Opinion Poll square commemorating the stalwarts of the historic Opinion poll movement have all come true in the first one year. “The long-delayed Arlem-Fatorda road widening work is underway. The PDA retail fish market will soon be refurbished by Statehood Day and the wholesale fish market will also see a turnaround. Work on the multi-storeyed parking lot will soon
commence opposite the PDA,” he said.
“The Fatorda lake project will be initiated after taking all farmers into confidence and protecting their interests. Fatorda can have its own economy around the lake on the lines of Spain”, he said, adding that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has agreed in principle to take the KTC bus stand and the Fatorda lake project during the second year in office.
The TCP Minister said a velodrome for cycling has been proposed behind the Opinion Poll square with the help of a Pune-based designer ahead of the National games, adding that area around the velodrome will be used to put in place the Fatorda municipal building.
On the conversation of the Portuguese-era Camara de Salcete building, which is crumbling for want of maintenance, the TCP Minister warned the owners to take a quick decision, saying they will not be able to develop the area since it will soon be declared as a heritage zone. “The owners should understand that the Camara de Salcete building area will remain a ruin. Instead of keeping the area a ruin, the owners should do something for the town. The government is ready to conserve the heritage building,” he added.
