NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Rejuvenation of St Inez creek through modern scientific techniques like dredging, aeration, microbial and cultured fish treatment and opening up of high tide flushing channel; redevelopment of civil supplies godown into a multi-level car park as well as creation of town hall and parking facility at military garage near city collectorate building; upgradation of Patto sewage treatment plant as well as laying of vacuum sewers in low-lying areas to ensure a soak pit-free city by 2020, make up some of the assurances in the manifesto of the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate for Panaji, Sidharth Kunkalienkar.
A football stadium at the parade ground, Campal with world-class facilities is also another assurance of the candidate.
The state president of BJP, Vinay Tendulkar released the manifesto in the city on Wednesday. The manifesto banks on the central schemes such as Smart City Mission and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), for funding some of the projects mentioned in it.
Speaking to the pressmen after the release of the manifesto, Kunkalienkar said that he is well aware of the traffic congestion in the city causing great inconvenience to the people of Panaji, and is interacting with the military authorities for turning the city military garage into a parking facility. “They have moved the proposal to the higher ups and I am getting positive response from them,” he pointed out.
Speaking further, Kunkalienkar said that a new traffic system is being worked out for the capital city, with new crossing-free junctions, and if possible, having only left turns. He also informed that a thought is being given to the city pay parking, wherein vehicle owners parking their vehicles only for 10 or 15 minutes would not be charged.
It was also informed that the project about beautification of the Mala lake, which is under litigation, could be restarted if its promoter is ready to compromise.
The manifesto also covers sewage and waste management, as well as disaster management, besides covering youth, education and employment; sports and tourism; and heritage, art and culture.
Replying to a question as regards the future of the off-shore casinos anchored in river Mandovi, the sitting Panaji legislator said that personally he is against the casinos. “However, the Congress government brought these casinos, and even though the BJP, as an opposition party launched an agitation against them, had to allow their functioning as government is a continuous process,” Kunkalienkar observed, stating that the BJP government however does not encourage the casino culture. “The voters of Panaji have already expressed their opinion about the BJP’s stand on casinos when they elected me, at the 2015 by-election held for the Panaji constituency,” he noted.
Answering another question, Kunkalienkar said that he is facing nearly half-a-dozen rival candidates in the Panaji constituency, and every one of them is a worthy opponent. “I would be using the work done by my party in the Panaji constituency for past 24 years, as a platform for my electoral campaign,” he added.
Replying to yet another question as to whether he expects a place in the state cabinet, if he is elected and his party comes back to power, the sitting city legislator said that he would abide by the order of his party. “Whatever my party tells me, I would do it successfully,” he added.
In the foreword of the manifesto, Kunkalienkar states, “I dream of making Panaji an ideal constituency, setting a benchmark for others.”