MAPUSA: Chairman of Horticulture Corporation and Thivim MLA Kiran Kandolkar on Friday expressed displeasure over the delay in the transfer of land by the agriculture department to horticulture department, saying that there is ‘someone’ in the government who wants a sports stadium there instead of multi-purpose project of Horticulture Corporation.
Speaking on the sidelines of inauguration of a horticulture outlet shop at Mapusa, Kandolkar said, “Despite in-principle approval given by the government for setting up a multi-purpose project of Horticulture Corporation at Thivim, hurdles are being put as someone wants a sports project on the same land.”
He further said, “It has been around eight to nine months that land at Thivim has been given to agriculture department by sports department and now it is to be reverted back but he does not understand why it is not being done. Someone wants sports project despite locals having opposed such project way back in 2007.”
He also said, “It is not that only I am interested in taking up the project, it has already been given approval by the state government and under horticulture mission, Centre is ready to provide funds for the multipurpose project but some vested interest is delaying the starting of the project that would generate revenue and employment.”
“I am not talking against my government but I would like to ask some people not to pull leg of your own colleagues. I am a new MLA and want to work for people hence I want this project to be taken up and completed as it will not only benefit people of Thivim but also others,” added Kandolkar.
When asked whether he has taken up the matter with Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar he replied that “despite taking up the matter with CM still nothing is being done.”
He further said, “During ZP election Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had given a word on the project. My words may not have weight-age, I don’t know whether there is any weight-age for the words of Defence Minister.”
Through horticulture corporation first-of-its-kind project consisting of facilities like sorting centre, mushroom laboratory and ripening chamber, multiple cold storage was proposed in Thivim constituency which is expected to generate employment for around 350-400 people including for people with low educational qualifications.