SOIRU VELIP
Senior Reporter
PANAJI
Most of the constituents of Aldona assembly segment, who have been hoping that various issues like proper health facilities, upgradation of primary school buildings with basic facilities, employment to local educated youth, proper supply of power and water, construction of market complex besides proper internal roads in the villages and maintenance of bridges would be resolved, opined that they are looking for a change in ensuing state assembly elections scheduled to be held on February 4.
Aldona constituency constitutes six village panchayats of Nachinola, Moira, Bastora, Ucassaim, Pomburpa and Aldona besides two wards of Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) and has a number of unresolved issues.
The people of Aldona still cannot forget the fateful day – January 18, 2012, when six people, including four students lost their lives as a mini bus plunged into the river at Aldona-Calvim ferry crossing, on Aldona side; though the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government completed the Calvim bridge soon after coming to power in 2012.
However, today the bridge lacks illumination as there are no proper streetlights. Villagers informed that though the government has constructed some bridges including Corjuem cable-stayed bridge, maintenance has not been done on a regular basis.
The market building at Aldona is in pathetic condition with cracks at various places, which became unsafe for vendors. The condition has worsened due to leakage caused during the monsoon. There has been a constant cry by the businessmen to rebuild the deteriorating structure but the panchayat doesn’t have land to do build a new one. The fishermen had approached the government but till date there has been no action in this context. Even the floor has holes in it but the people are helpless.
“We have been demanding a new market building for so many years as present building is very unsafe. But so far nothing has been done,” complained vendors.
As far as primary health centre is concerned, the government has upgraded the health centre building by spending lakhs of rupees, but there are no adequate facilities like medicines, doctors, equipments etc. A senior citizen from Ucassaim informed that they are forced to go to Mapusa for medical treatment as there are inadequate facilities at the primary health centre.
Fluctuation in power supply is an everyday affair for the people of this constituency besides some parts of the constituency have been facing water problems. Narrow roads and lack of adequate internal roads is another issue apart from regularisation of unauthorised houses at Aldona, Nachinola and other places, which are mostly built on communidade land, for which occupants have been demanding urgent attention from authorities as they are living there for decades.
Like other parts of Goa, Aldona constituency also has unemployment problem. “There are many educated youth in our constituency. Lack of enough employment opportunities, most of the youth prefer to go abroad for jobs,” a young person from Moira informed, demanding that the government should create job opportunities to locals.
Some villagers also informed that the government primary school needs upgradation with basic facilities and full-time teachers as many schools are in dilapidated conditions. Furthermore, the people have been demanding to boost agricultural activities especially focusing on youth besides maintenance of manas, a fishing activity with proper sluice gates.
Aldona constituency has over 27,000 voters, who will decide the fate of six candidates including the incumbent MLA Glenn Souza Ticlo of BJP, Amarnath Panajikar – Congress, Rosy Ursula D’Souza – AAP, Osbert D’Cunha – NCP, Mahesh Satelkar – MGP and Anandrao Nagvekar, an Independent.
Talking on various issues, present MLA and BJP candidate Ticlo said that his government has succeeded in providing jobs to many youth besides construction of Calvim bridge.
“During the last five years, I have initiated steps to solve water supply and electricity problems apart from hot-mixing of roads. The work of some internal roads has been taken up by me,” he claimed, adding the works that have taken by him during his tenure would help him get through in the ensuing election.
Congress candidate Panajikar alleged that the local MLA has failed to provide basic amenities to the public in last five years pointing out that he even failed to attend grievances of the electorate.
“This time the voters of Aldona want change as local MLA has failed on all fronts,” he said, adding that he will take up the upgradation of schools, maintenance of bridges, construction of Aldona market, at least one job to each family, boost agriculture and tackling of garbage issue, if he is voted to power.
AAP candidate Ursula D’Souza also maintained that the people of Aldona are looking for a change and they feel that AAP will be right choice. As far as priorities are concerned, D’Souza said she will have plan and management system by involving the people to solve the various issues like electricity and water supply and will focus on good governance.