MAPUSA
Siolim has been pushed back by almost 25 years as the speed of development has failed to gather pace in the constituency, RDA Minister, Michael Lobo said, while blaming the present and past governments for the sorry state of affairs in the popular coastal locale.
Lobo also said that the code of conduct was expected to be enforced in another three months, but assured the villagers that all works can be taken up from March 2022 onwards after a new government is sworn-in.
“I have been moving around in Siolim and found that not much work has happened here. Even basic necessities like water, power and good roads are not available in villages. The panchayats have done their best within their limited powers but the government has failed the people of Siolim,” Lobo said.
The RDA minister was addressing the villagers after laying foundation stones for three works in different areas in the Siolim constituency.
Continuing, Lobo said his presence in the next government depended on the people of Goa and assured to take up all necessary works in Siolim.
“If people of Goa feel that Michael Lobo is needed in the next government then I will be the MLA and we will also form the government,” he said.
“I will always be there for the people of Siolim. In next five years we can bring about good and planned development in Anjuna, Assagao, Verla-Canca, Siolim-Marna, Siolim-Sodiem and Oxel,” he said, referring to the six village panchayats of Siolim constituency.
For the last almost three months, Lobo has been active on the ground moving around and meeting people from different segments and organising events in Siolim to drum up support for the ensuing assembly election.
He is on record that his wife Delilah Lobo, who is currently the sarpanch of Parra, would be contesting from Siolim constituency in the 2022 assembly polls.
The RDA Minister laid foundation stone for three projects “ construction of compound wall at Chivar, Anjuna and installation of pavers at Siddeshwar Devasthan and Chopdenkar Devasthan in Chapora.
Lobo said a grand sports venue with facilities of football and cricket grounds, swimming pools, squash, badminton, lawn tennis, etc can be set up in the available panchayat land in Anjuna.
“A good project of around Rs 40 crore can be brought here which will benefit the Anjuna village.
The panchayat should take up a resolution and the work can be handed over to the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC),” he said and added that the panchayat should request the GSIDC to appoint a consultant to prepare the project report.
He also assured the two devasthan committees that the best quality pavers will be installed around the temple premises as part of the beautification work.
Anjuna Sarpanch, Savio Almeida and other panchayat members were also present on the occasion.
