In a recent interview with The Navhind Times, this is what Dr Wilfred de Souza had to say:
OPENQUOTE: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ What are your top priorities for the development of your constituency? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I have been an MLA of Saligao constituency for many years and mine is a very developed constituency. Except for two places (Bastora and Sangolda), we have not allowed slums to develop in the seven villages of my constituency. There are also no public taps. I want to widen and hotmix the roads.... Likewise, I have proposed a roundabout at the intersection where the Saligao road meets the Mapusa-Calangute road. The point is very accident-prone and the papers have been submitted to the PWD. Regarding the proposed garbage processing plant on the Saligao plateau, we oppose the transportation of garbagte from different places through my village. I am all for proper garbage disposal. Infact, I had moved a private member resolution in the House proposing that each taluka should have its own garbage processing plant. But the site chosen for the plant should be away from habitation. For Bardez, the ideal place would be the forested area on the Pirna hill. CLOSEQUOTE My view is: * This constitutency is 'developed' more due to the efforts, initiatives, out-migration, educational infrastructure of the villagers (and others who worked for this). Not so much because of the efforts or initiatives of our politicians, bureacuracy or government. * If we don't have "slums" in the area, is it a big blessing? There are a number of other things lacking in the village, which still remain to be sorted out. Some of the pending problems to be sorted out, and which would really help the village: * Public transport is abysmal. Particularly to Panjim. * Betim mini-bus connections have improved (this is more due to the needs of the industrial estate at Pilerne, not us villagers!) * Late-evening bus transport is very poor. Those of you who remember the last 7:45 pm bus from Panjim might be surprised to learn that even a bus so late is now often not available! * Time-tables of local buses should be prominently displayed. * Saligao lacks a single decent public library/reading room. * Schools have been built largely with private initiative (Mater Dei) or due to the efforts of religious orders (FMCK). What are our politicians and administrators doing to encourage these institutions to grow? * Large-scale water sale from the village, and consequent serious depletion of ground-water remains an unsorted problem. * Saligao needs a better communication infrastructure -- more public telephones that could be accessed by the poor; more cybercafes, and facilities to extend school computer labs to be used after-hours for villagers' education. * Resource-directory of village skills need to be built up. * Local institutions (bank, local businesses) should be encouraged to contribute back to village development. Can the bank, for instance, support a village library or two, or a sports club? * Saligao badly lacks parks for its kids to play. * Career guidance for youth is sorely lacking. * Saligao needs technical education facilities for its dropouts. * Elderly population needs planned activity to tap their skills and give them something to keep busy with productively. * Comunidade land could be donated for setting up of more educational facilities. * Garbage dumping, and garbage generation (due to excessive use of plastic by local shops and non-effective implementation of anti-plastics law is something that could affect the village in a big way). * Life-long learning facilities need to be opened up for those with the time and energy. * Villagers should be encouraged to contribute to community-building, by setting up the necessary mechanisms that allow this. * Hobby centres should be encouraged for youth. * Job-finding potential needs to be enhanced, specially for the poor. Some years back, in the 'nineties, there was talk about building up Saligao as a model village. Wonder what happened to that? AFAIK, no official initiatives have been undertaken towards this goal. If this is true, does it mean that the state (and our politicians) are only trying to cash in on the hard work that people of the area have put in... generations of investing in education, slogging it out and paying the price (though with a better living standard) scouring the world as emmigrants to earn a living that Goa and Saligao itself could not offer? How do we change things and build a sustainable base, and a society that has something to offer for everyone. FN -- Frederick Noronha * Freelance Journalist * Goa * India 832.409490 / 409783 GOAPIX in.photos.yahoo.com/fredericknoronha * GOANEWS www.goacom.com/news/ Please visit http://www.livejournal.com/users/goalinks =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead !
