Vijai’s bypass on stilts plea to Gadkari triggers political slugfest in Benaulim

Benaulim sarpanch Xavier Pereira along with panchayat members and residents on Friday called the media to thank the Goa Forward chief for taking up the bypass issue with Union Minister Gadkari, and to train guns at Aam Aadmi Party Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas for what he termed as the MLA’s failure to take up the people’s issue with the Central government considering his good relations with the BJP.

“Venzy could have easily taken the help of Delhi Chief Minister & AAP founder Arvind Kejriwal to facilitate an appointment with Gadkari. It took an opposition MLA from another constituency to raise the issue in the Assembly and also at the Central level to sort out the issue and find an amicable and a long-lasting solution to our vexed issue,” Xavier told the media on Friday.

Expressing his gratitude to Sardesai for taking up the Benaulim bypass on stilts issue, Xavier said the panchayat approached the Fatorda MLA for help with no hope forthcoming on their legitimate demand for construction of the bypass on stilts.

“Sardesai called us for obtaining details on the eve of his departure to Delhi for an appointment with Gadkari. We submitted to him all the details and the photographs of flooding,” he said, adding “We are very hopeful that Nitin Gadkari will personally peruse the documents and take an appropriate decision in the matter.”

The Benaulim sarpanch also appealed to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to keep aside egos and requested him to follow up with the concerned officials of the Central Ministry to request them to fast-track the works to ensure that the portion is built on stilts in Benaulim to avoid catastrophic destruction to the environment and flooding in Benaulim and the surrounding villages.

Saying the past MLAs all played lip service to the legitimate demand, the sarpanch said they initially took up the issue only to mysteriously fall into submission to vested interests. “Our present MLA too took us along to meet the CM and the Governor. He promised to do a Hydrology Study from his own resources. He also promised to take us to Delhi to meet Gadkari provided, all those who wanted to accompany him paid the airfare from their own pocket. A few agreed to his proposal. The day never came till date," he said.

The sarpanch thanked people from the neighbouring villages for unitedly standing up with Benaulikars and extending their support for the cause.

“Though the support was enormous and equal from all villages, I would like to thank Seraulim villagers for continuously taking up this issue in their gram sabhas, particularly when their demand has been met and they could have sat content over it. My special thanks to Kevin of Seraulim, who provided us with his unending support and providing us crucial documents to pursue our cause,” he added.

Not from BJP, NDA or ex-NDA to pursue issue in Delhi: Venzy

THE GOAN NETWORK

MARGAO

Moments after Benaulim sarpanch Xavier Pereira thanked Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai and attacked him over the bypass issue, Aam Aadmi Party Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas said he neither belongs to the BJP nor the NDA and nor he is an ex-member of the NDA to go to Delhi to pursue the bypass issue with Union Ministers.

He, however, said he has been pushing Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari through many leaders, including Margao MLA Digambar Kamat to get the bypass on stilts.

Without taking names, Venzy told the media: “I am neither a member of the BJP nor NDA nor am I an ex-NDA member to go to Delhi and pursue with the ministers. My people did not elect me to join the NDA. Even without being part of NDA, I am sincerely working to get the bypass on stilts.”

The Benaulim MLA, however, said it is good news that all MLAs are coming forward to take up the issue. “If the Benaulim sarpanch is saying I did not take them to Delhi to meet Gadkari, I want to remind him that Gadkari had come down to Goa in December last and the sarpanch and his team were there during the discussion,” he said.

“After the last monsoons, we had got something new in our hands to plead with the court to issue directions to build the bypass on stilts. We had all assembled at Tolleaband during the last monsoon. Our Pele had come down in the water, but the sarpanch was at home. He is now telling others, but he did not know anything. We got the WRD to write down the details of the flooding. These facts are recorded facts which ought to have been placed before the court,” he said.

Venzy further reminded the sarpanch that the Benaulim gram sabha had adopted a resolution that the panchayat should go to the court, adding that he had also demanded that the panchayat goes to the court instead of making the farmers file the petition.

“I had spoken on the issue in the Assembly along with other MLAs. My efforts were underway to do the follow-up. Accordingly, we met Digambar Kamat since the Margao MLA and Gadkari are good friends. Digambar along with Sawant had been doing the follow-up in Delhi, but the ball lies in the court of Gadkari to release the funds,” he added.