In keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ache din slogan, Sports Minister Govind Gaude promised better days to the residents of twin villages of Chandor-Cavorim and Guirdolim by promising to carpet the football ground at Cavorim in a lawn and assuring people from Guirdolim that the railway level crossing in their village will be help open for some time at least.
Mr. Gaude visited the Chandor-Cavorim panchayat hall on March 5 along with various government officials to interact with the people from the twin villages and also neighbouring Macasana as part of the Panchayat Chalo Abhiyan to make India a superpower by 2047 which is the centenary of the country’s independence from British rule.
He assured Chandor-Cavorim Sarpanch Estefanio Dias that his department will soon cover the football ground near St Anthony Chapel with a lawn when he was informed that the dust rising from it could be harmful to those using the ground.
He promptly directed the Water Resources Department officials to put a stop to pollution of the storm water drain in the village by people defecating in it and promised to take up with the authorities the demand to install nets all along the two bridges across river Kushawati over which miscreants throw garbage into the river.
Mr. Gaude said Collector South was in the process of directing Traffic Cell and RTO to implement the earlier order prohibiting heavy traffic plying through Chandor and further asked the panchayat to forward its resolution seeking a similar order on the new road that has been commissioned following construction of a new railway over bridge connecting Chandor and Curtorim.
When Estefanio pointed out that the villagers and particularly senior citizens have to endure the raucous behaviour of youngsters who consume alcohol in open spaces during twilight hours and zoom around on their vehicles , he said he would speak to the police to intensify patrolling in the village during twilight hours.
He assured ex-sarpanch Edward D’Silva to replace the unusable 7 community toilets installed to make Goa open defecation free, with community toilets having bathing facilities too. Edward had pooh poohed government’s claim of being open defecation free by pointing out that these toilets could not be used due to lack of water supply and even doors for some.
Responding to the representation made by Chandor-Cavorim Village Development Committee, the minister promised that Suvarna Velip the Zilla Panchayat member would contact the panchayat within a week and also promised to get in touch with experts to introduce Teqball the new game that is fast growing popularity in the world and slated to be part of the Olympics shortly.
The VDC had complained that the ZP member had not visited the village even once since she was elected nor had she sanctioned any works in the village besides ignoring the panchayat’s requests to provide benches and pavers to cover drains in the village.
Walking the talk, the minister provided 15 benches to Chandor-Cavorim village within three days of the Chalo Panchayat Abhiyan visit.
“I shall discuss with Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and the Railways Minister about the Chandor Railway Station matter raised by the VDC,” he said. The VDC while lamenting that the villagers were kept in the dark over the plans for new Chandor Railway Station had asked that it reflect the village ethos given the fact that Chandor was singled out to be the Heritage Village of Goa.
Incidentally, Guirdolim Sarpanch Sonia Fernandes had also made an impassioned plea pointing out that people were suffering a lot due to the closure of the level crossing.
“The railway under pass is no solution as even Balrath cannot pass through it thus making innocent students suffer and as it gets waterlogged even motorists cannot use it properly,” she said.
Sonia while disclosing that they were in the process of taking possession of an open space in the village, sought the minister’s help in converting it to a football ground, which Mr. Gaude promised to do.
Following various complaints of bad road, not installing speed breakers despite notification by Collector, he asked the PWD officials to attend to them and urged the concerned panchayat members to inform him if work is not done.
“I request the panchayat to send me a copy of the resolution and I shall pursue the matter of heavy traffic plying over the new bridge over railway tracks,” he said as people bitterly complained about not only increased traffic but also fatal accidents.
Mr Gaude also said he would speak to the police authorities to enable locals to lodge their complaints at the Chandor Police Out Post when some villagers pointed out that they have to go to the police station all the way to Manora, Raia to lodge complaints.
“I request you to bear up till the Lok Sabha elections are over but after that I promise that panchayat staff will not be given additional duty as BLO,” he said when it was pointed out that panchayat functioning is adversely affected because of this.
Irregular water supply in some places, lack of water for irrigation through Paroda canal, non functioning street lights, disappearance of Nacasana lake, non functioning sluice gates, land locked houses, were some of the other difficulties expressed by people.
Earlier, Estefanio Dias welcomed and Domingo Cardoso from Guirdolim sang a welcome song which was appreciated by the artiste Govind Gaude while Macasana Sarpanch Agnelo D’Costa proposed the vote of thank.
In keeping with the panchayat’s commitment to reduce the use of plastic, all the dignitaries were given flower baskets which were not wrapped in plastic. Those presented the flower baskets were Minister Govind Gaude, Salcete Block Development Officer Pranit Naik and the three sarpanchas, namely Estefanio, Sonia and Agnelo.
After interacting with the people, Mr Gaude visited the Braganza house which is the birthplace of Dr Tristao Braganza Cunha, father of Goa’s liberation movement and also the house from which Goa’s first women freedom fighters, Beatrice and Bertha Pereira, who were nieces of Dr T B Cunha, were born and resided when they fought for the ouster of the Portuguese from Goan soil.
Sudesh Bhise from Guirdolim who had contested the last Assembly elections, offered lunch to the minister and panchayat members.