The villages of Goa comprise of vadde or wards which have been given names by our ancestors on geographical, historical and several other grounds. Goans have respected and maintained these names since time immemorial.
However, it is seen that some non-Goan businessmen who start business in Goa tinker with these age old names and even try to change them which is objectionable and unacceptable.
Recently, a builder of a housing project in Mazalvaddo, Assagao named a lane of the complex as Montford Vaddo and fixed a big name board by the roadside reading Montford Vaddo. The builder was forced by the villagers to remove the board. Another builder of a housing complex in Socolvaddo Assagao has fixed a name board with the name of the vaddo written as Bouta Vaddo.
As if this is not bad enough, a big real estate developer who has set up office in Gonguerem Assagao in a recent advertisement announcing vacancies for jobs has given the office address as Ghateshwar Nagar.
There is no such vaddo at all in Assagao. The Assagao Panchayat should be vigilant, proactive and take suo moto action in these matters. As for the business entrepreneurs they had better behave responsibly and refrain from distorting and changing names of our vadde.
