MARGAO
Underscoring the need to look beyond politics in the interest of the State, South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes on Thursday said he would work to fight to bring an amendment to ensure that Goa’s entire coastline returns back to the custody of the State government and local bodies and not with the Mormugao Port Authority (MPA).
The Captain on Thursday paid a courtesy visit on South Goa district Collector, Asvin Chandru and discussed the issues facing the people of the constituency.
“We don’t have problem if the MPT is changed to MPA. But, we are concerned about is that the three main clauses need to be amended since it has divested all powers of the State government and handed over them to the MPA. The MPA is a like a State within the State. This cannot be allowed. The Goa government and the local panchayat and municipal bodies should have jurisdiction on the coast,” he said.
Asserting that the three linear projects have been mooted by the government to facilitate coal transportation to the neighbouring state, Viriato said he met a couple of MPs during his stay in Delhi wherein I explained that there are alternate ways of transporting coal to the State and not necessarily from Goa.
Saying he has many plans for the people of South Goa, Viriato said he had come across a host of problems facing the people of South Goa, especially those staying in the hinterland areas. “I have discussed some of the issues with the district Collector. We have to provide basic amenities such as road and water supply to the people inhabiting the far flung areas of the constituency. We will all join hands for the benefit of the people of Goa,” he said.
When the media drew his attention to the MPLAD projects craving for attention on the maintenance front, the South Goa MP said he would call for an audit of the MLPAD works to find out their status before finding solutions.
“We take pride in claiming that Goa is a developed State. But we have come across people walking a kilometer and half away to fetch a bucket of water. In some places, there are no roads as a result of which children do not go to school. We have to work for these people,” he said, while promising to serve the people without any party and political affiliations.
