Has Salcete nothing much to rejoice in the scheme of things in the budget presented by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar? Or, has the Chief Minister only promised to take up pending and new projects in Fatorda, the constituency represented by alliance partner and Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai?
MARGAO
When these questions were posed to Sardesai to shed light whether Salcete has lost out in the BJP-led government’s scheme of things, he said that all is still not over if Salcete in general does not find a mention in the budget, while insisting that the Chief Minister has promised to upgrade the long-pending KTC bus stand project, complete the district hospital under construction and tackle the decades-old festering eyesore at Sonsodo by clearing the dump yard.
“If many a project in Salcete is left out in the scheme of things, I will take up with the Chief Minister during discussions on the budget. But, the Chief Minister has explained to me that the water augmentation project at Selaulim will boost water supply to Salcete taluka. Similarly, the KTC bus stand will benefit not just Fatordekars, but entire Salcete. And, the district hospital will benefit not just Salcete, but entire South Goa,” Sardesai argued, while saying the comprehensive traffic scheme for Margao will benefit the entire taluka.
Incidentally, a glance at the budget estimates revealed that while the Chief Minister has promised to tone up amenities along the north Goa beach belt, including facilities for toilets and changing rooms, world famous Colva beach or neighbouring Benaulim finds no mention in the budget.
Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao, who has lent his support to the Parrikar government, said he would request the Chief Minister to extend the beach amenities scheme to Colva and Benaulim as well.
Secondly, the Chief Minister has promised to complete the Margao western bypass along with many a centrally-funded road projects, but the budget is silent on the long pending demand of the villagers of Benaulim, Navelim and Seraulim for a bypass on stilts to prevent flooding during monsoons.
Presently, work on the 11.9 km long western bypass is underway, barring the three-km long Benaulim-Seraulim stretch, passing through the flood plains and the wet lands.
When The Goan asked the TCP minister whether the Chief Minister has promised to arrange funds to build the bypass on stilts, he said the exorbitant cost of building a bypass on stilts (around Rs 150 crore for a km) may have prompted the CM not to make the commitment.
