ROQUE DIAS | NT Senior Reporter
FATORDA: With many projects from the Margao town being shifted to the Fatorda constituency due to the paucity of land, there is a pressure on the infrastructure in the constituency.
This semi-urban constituency, which lacks a proper bus stand, is facing the problems of interrupted power supply, choked sewerage network, congested and stinking wholesale fish market and other markets, river and lake pollution, and traffic congestions.
Though, the legislators, past and present, tried to resolve these issues, they did not succeed at that.
And, so, presently the overflowing of sewage is posing a health hazard, poor electricity supply is inconveniencing the residents, and fish waste from the wholesale fish market flows into nullah only to pollute the River Sal.
A resident of Maddel-Fatorda, Savio Dias, who has been fighting for the improvement of sewerage network, said, “The government in not concerned about citizens’ health. The officials at the sewerage department fearlessly release sewage into the storm drains. The stink is unbearable. I had to fight against this in the court of law, but all in vain.”
Another resident, Vinay Naik feels that the elected MLA should first focus on providing the basic needs rather than on hi-tech.
“What we see today in Fatorda is concretisation. With projects after projects coming up in Fatorda, the locals are facing the brunt. We do not get proper power supply. Sewage is overflowing. Replacement of north main sewerage pipeline is the need of the hour to resolve the issue of sewage disposal. Hygienic wholesale fish market, and a modern bus stand are required for Fatorda. Fatorda has suffered, because, its representatives Damodar Naik and Vijai Sardesai were in the opposition, and the pace of development got reduced.”
The constituency will be witnessing a triangular fight this election among the sitting MLA Vijai Sardesai, who is contesting now on the Goa forward Party (GFP) ticket, Damodar Naik, BJP candidate and Joseph D’Silva, Congress candidate, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Ranjit Cota e Carvalho all set to make a mark by grabbing his ‘share’ of votes.
Sardesai, who was vocal in the Assembly and was raising concern over certain government decisions, says that he carried out various development works during the past five years despite he being in the opposition.
Sardesai is now seeking a second term to carry “Goa Forward.’’
Naik has publicly admitted his mistakes, which cost him the seat in 2012, even though his party got the majority. He, now, highlights the good governance of his party-led government and lays emphasis on the schemes implemented as he urges the voters to vote for him.
ST candidate of the Congress party, D’Silva, who is in the fray due to the seat adjustment between Goa Forward and Congress ‘not moving forward,’ is banking on the votes of the staunch party supporters and of his ST community members (6,500). The total number of voters here is 28, 900.
The AAP candidate Carvalho projects himself as an appropriate alternative to the voters of Fatorda as Congress and BJP have been “ruling and looting the state.”
Carvalho, with a clean slate, has entered the fray to “end” the Congress-BJP domination in Fatorda.
The style of governing of Arvin Kejriwal is likely to put a sizeable number of votes into the AAP kitty, feel the political observers. Naik is trying his best to neutralise the edge his political rival Sardesai presently having in the constituency.
But MGP-BJP split can come as hurdle for Damu, and in similar way, friend-turned foe – Congress candidate D Silva’ entering the fray could prove Sardesai’s calculations wrong.
Naik’s vote graph – 5,639 votes in 2002, 7,953 in 2007 and 8,436 in 2012, when he lost to Sardesai, gives him the confidence that this time he can be through as the BJP has roped in minority community members into the party fold.
But Sardesai, on the other hand, says that the BJP candidate, who failed miserably in getting BJP-backed candidates elected during the council election, will meet the same fate at the hands of the voters on February 4 election.
With D’Silva in the fray, the three-corner fight seems to be more interesting.
The sitting MLA says that he has carried out several development works in Fatorda – roads worth of Rs 100 crore, subsidised sewerage connection scheme to ST people, and free Wi-Fi to people of Fatorda.
He now promises uninterrupted power supply, separate police station and a modern bus stand.
Damu has a dream of progressive Fatorda. He says that the local MLA, Sardesai failed to deliver, the way he (Damu) did in his ten years’ tenure from 2002 to 2012.