CANACONA
Urban Development Minister Milind Naik on Tuesday unveiled the foundation stones for the new Rs 11 crore Canacona Municipal Council administrative building and the Rs 1.3 crore STP Bio Methanation Plant at the Dumane Garbage Treatment Plant.
Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes and Canacona Municipal Council Chairperson Nitu Desai were among those present on the occasion.
The three-story new CMC municipal building, to be built in an area of 2,100 sq metres will have several facilities, including commercial shops, ATMs and canteen on the ground floor, municipal offices and a meeting/conference hall on the second floor and a public hall on the top floor.
Hailing the decision of the Canacona MLA to join the BJP, Naik said he felt at ease to approve projects put forth by Fernandes as these would be people-oriented projects.
Responding to Fernandes' request for crematoriums in Canacona, Naik narrated how he had got three cemeteries in Vasco for Hindu, Muslims and Catholics, all by the side of each other.
“Mormugao municipality has been the best to manage the garbage issue. When the villages and towns develop, the state rises and when the state rises, the nation develops,” said Naik.
Fernandes took a dig at an NGO for making an issue over the demolition of the existing heritage building to construct a new municipal building but lauded the same NGO for its contribution to tackle garbage issue in the taluka.
He advised the NGO to approach him with any grievance regarding the municipal administrative building project.
“Though the foundation stone has been laid for the project, nothing is final and we still have time to bring whatever changes are required. We can do it even now, let's sit and resolve the grievances,” said Fernandes.
Highlighting the need for a decent crematorium in Canacona town, Fernandes said requested Naik to sanction a crematorium at Canacona.
“In the absence of a proper crematorium, people take their departed loved ones to Poinguinim and even to Margao for cremation. That should not happen,” said Fernandes.
CMC Chairperson Desai termed the twin foundation stones laid as a Golden Day in the history of Canacona municipality.
Others present at the function included CMC Deputy Chairperson Maruti Komarpant, all councillors, sarpanchas and panchas of various panchayats in Canacona, former CMC chairpersons Simon Rebello and Shamsunder Dessai, CMC Chief Officer Satish Prabhu, Canacona Mamlatdar Vimod Dalal, GSUDA Chief Engineer and DMA officials.
