Bottom of Form Awaiting a playground
TNN | Feb 4,2015, 02.00 AM IST IsidoreDomnick Mendes Situated in Bardez taluka, Ucassaim is a villagethat lacks a proper playground facility for its children and youth. The villageis surrounded by Nachinola in the east, Moira in the north and Socorro in thesouth. The River Mandovi also criss-crosses through the village. Ucassaim also has apopular place known as 'Vagbiu', which is a cave atop the hill. From this cave,flows a stream, and it also has a narrow tunnel that leads to the church inPomburpa. With a population of 4,000 persons, of which, 3,500 have votingrights, Ucassaim has seven wards and 8 vaddos including Paliem 1, Paliem 2,Dhumpem, Punola, Igreja vaddo, St Anthony vaddo , Bela Flor and Pelo vaddo. The villagecurrently has one playground which belongs to the Ucassaim Sports Club, but,the ground's terrain is barren and rough. "Ucassaimvillage lacks the most basic necessity of a modern playground. It is really sadthat though our village thrives with budding talent in the sports field, it isdevoid of a proper playground. Presently, two young girls, Zeena Soares andMaheshwari Haldankar, are making the village proud in hockey at the juniornational level," states Stella D'Sa, a retired higher secondary schoolteacher, and a resident of Dhumpem. Locals complainthat the Ucassaim Sports Club ground is mostly used by villagers from Moira orVaddem-Socorro. "Currently,mostly locals from other villages come and play on the existing groundbelonging to Ucassaim Sports Club. Young boys and girls of the village arecraving for a modern ground and the development of the Ucassaim Sport Clubground will go a long way to fulfill their dream. The modernized ground shouldbe given to locals of the village as a first preference," says Cosme J AMartins, ex-sarpanch (2000-2006), and a resident of St Anthony vaddo. The dearth of aplayground facility has led the villagers to play on a small ground carved outof a field belonging to the St Elizabeth's Church, which was built in Ucassaimin 1628. "Apart fromUcassaim Sports Club's ground, the only place in our village is a small,underdeveloped ground converted from the field belonging to the village parishchurch. In no way, can this small playground substitute for a properplayground. The need for reconstruction and renovation of Ucassaim SportsClub's ground is felt by the residents of the village," says ShyamChandrakant Sinai Gaitonde of Igreja vaddo. The Ucassaimpanchayat is aware of this demand by the villagers. "The issue has beendiscussed in the gram sabha and the message is crystal clear. The UcassaimSports Club ground has to be developed into a modern playground which will haveall the basic amenities. The funds for this basic project for the village couldcome from the state government or provisions have to be made to get the worksanctioned from the north Goa MP's fund," says Shubanand VinayakMandrekar, sarpanch of Ucassaim -Paliem-Punola panchayat. Aldona MLA GlennSousa Ticlo said he was ignorant about the demand. "No one from thevillage panchayat has brought the playground issue to my notice. There has beenno communication from the local body sent to me on the demand for upgradationof the ground. I am not even aware about whom the plaground belongs to, whetherit is the comunidade or a private party," said Ticlo. "If thevillagers desire a proper playground, then the file from the panchayat shouldhave come to me for necessary action. Whether, it is to seek assistance fromthe state government or support from the MP's fund," he added. On the other hand,the sarpanch, Mandrekar, states that the MLA has been kept in the loop with allthe demands and concerns of the villagers including the need to develop theplayground. "It has been more than two years that the MLA has been keptwell-informed about developing the Ucassaim Sport Club's ground into a modernplayground. The MLA met us, panchayat members, during his visit to Ucassaimtwice; on October 17, 2012, and October 21, 2014; and on both occasions, thevillagers demand for upgradation of the playground was conveyed to him. Theplayground issue has been discussed threadbare with Ticlo," said thesarpanch. ++++++ PROBLEM PROBLEM No community hall Ucassaim lacks acommunity hall which could host social occasions celebrated by villagers."Though there is a private hall at Punola junction, the villagers desirefor a community hall which would take care of special social occasions likebirthdays, anniversaries, weddings etc," says Shyam Chandrakant SinaiGaitonde of Igreja vaddo. Unrepaired bunds Punola has around6km of bunds, but, most of them lie in a decrepit state. "The saline waterspreads into the agriculture fields on which 45 cultivators grow crops aroundthe year. These crops include paddy in the monsoon i.e., sorod and olgando;while beans and vegetables are grown in the dry season," says Cosme J AMartins. Dim streetlights Illumination in thenight on the main road and internal roads is very poor. "The villagershope that, at least, the electricity department will take notice of darknessenveloping the streets and internal roads," says sarpanch ShubanandMandrekar. +++++ TRIVIA Ucassaim hasproduced some famous children. The late Arnold Saldanha, then advisor to thedepartment of western music at Kala Academy and former dean and senior-mostteacher of music at the Kenya Conservatoire of Music, Nairobi, hailed from thevillage. Late J T De Souza, who was the co-pilot of the ill-fated Bombay-NewYork Air India 707 crash at Mont Blanc in France, which killed all the 117passengers including then chairman of the Indian Atomic Energy Commission DrHomi Jehangir Bhabha, was also a son of the village. De Souza's ancestral houseis used, today, as an old age home run by Poor Sisters of Our Lady. Notedcancer surgeon, late Dr Ernest Joachim Joseph Borges of Tata Memorial Hospital,Mumbai; gynecologist Dr Arcanjo Menezes, and retired senior police officer,Alex Rasquinha, are all from this village. ++++ TOP VIEW The issue has beendiscussed in the gram sabha. The Ucassaim Sports Club ground has to bedeveloped into a modern playground which will have all the basic amenities. TheMLA is aware of this demand - Shubanand Vinayak Mandrekar, sarpanch No one from the village panchayat has broughtthe playground issue to my notice. If the villagers desire a proper playground,then the file from the panchayat should have come to me for necessary action - Glenn Sousa Ticlo, MLA ++++++ PEOPLE'S TAKE Ucassaim village lacks the most basic necessityof a modern playground. It is really sad that though our village thrives withbudding talent in the sports field, it is devoid of a proper playground - Stella D'Sa,resident Apart from Ucassaim Sports Club's ground, theonly place in our village is a small, underdeveloped ground converted from thefield belonging to the village parish church - Shyam ChandrakantSinai Gaitonde, resident Young boys and girls of the village are cravingfor a modern ground and the development of the Ucassaim Sport Club ground willgo a long way to fulfill their dream - Cosme J AMartins, resident
