Educationist Antonio Alvares at a media briefing after prominent citizens proposed him as Navelim candidate for Assembly polls. Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO: Prominent citizens of Navelim under the banner Navelim for Goa on Saturday proposed educationist and joint secretary of the Movement for Special Status for Goa (MSSG) Antonio Alvares as the candidate for Navelim constituency for the 2022 Assembly election.
They pointed out that Alvares possesses the qualities of a good legislator having experience in the field of education and social work.
Addressing the media, activist Inacio Vas said there is a need for good and educated people to enter the Assembly, adding that the citizens have finalised Alvares as the candidate, whose heart and mind long for Goa. “Alvares is an educationist, activist who has fought for retaining Goa’s special status and to protect the fields of Navelim. We have convinced him to contest the coming election and represent Navelim in the Assembly”, he said.
Vas said the people will decide whether Alvares will contest as an independent or for a party. “Right now, we have decided to field him in the 2022 election”, he added.
Former Navelim Sarpanch Anna Carneiro extended her support to the candidature of Alvares, expressing her happiness that an educated person has accepted the people’s request to contest the election and solve the issues plaguing Navelim.
Activist Melvyn Pereira said the people of Navelim have taken a step forward to field a vice-principal of a higher secondary school and urged the people to support Alvares.
Joseph Vaz and Sidharth Karapurkar said that Alvares had participated in a number of agitations such as call for building western bypass on stilts, needless acquisition of huge tract of cultivable land for the buffer zone of the sewerage plant at Navelim and the battle for the restoration of Salpemtollem.
Accepting the responsibility to contest the election, Alvares told the media that he would not betray the people of Navelim. Saying that politics has stooped to a low level in recent times, Alvares promised to discharge the role of a legislator if elected.
Prominent among those attending the media conference were Ex-Sarpanchas Anna Carneiro (Navelim) and Agnelo Dias (AquemBaixo); panchas and ex-panchas from Navelim, Telaulim and Aquem Baixo panchayats. George Baretto, Natividade Fernandes. Tadeu Gracias, Joseph Vaz (Convenor, Navelim Consumer Forum), Peter Coutinho, and Harold Pinto, Jules Themudo, Melwyn Pereira, Sidharth Karapurkar, and Sarmento D’Silva, ex-international footballer.
