MARGAO: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cleanliness drive may kick off across the country on Gandhi Jayanti Day, but Fatorda is already a witness to a war of a different kind, with local politicos descending on the streets to clean up the road sides.
If Independent MLA Vijai Sardesai has descended with men and machinery, including trucks and JCBs in his Fatorda constituency, Margao City Fathers opposed to the MLA have not lagged behind, trying to catch up with the MLA’s campaign in their backyard.
Vijai’s operation clean-up has so far helped clean up areas of Borda and now at Madel. With the MLA’s juggernaut comprising of JCBs, trucks and manpower moving from ward to ward, Councillor Raju Naik, a known political opponent of the Fatorda MLA, took up the cleanliness drive in his Pajifond ward, clearing wild vegetation near Hospicio and the road side inside the Junta quarters.
Saturday saw Vijai and his men and machinery descending in Madel ward around the wholesale fish market. The JCB cleaned up the road leading to the wholesale fish market from the KTC bus stand and the entrance to the wholesale fish market. Even as local fish vendors and wholesale fish merchants insisted on the MLA to use his good offices to spruce up the messy fish market, Vijai has promised to take up on priority the market illumination.
“This is the work of the Civic body, but I have taken up the matter for want of action by the Municipal Council. Unlike the Councillors, I am spending money from my pocket to clean up the public places. The drive will continue till the road sides are cleared of the wild grass and bushes”, he added.
Sardessai’s exercise has earned him kudos from the wholesale fish merchants. Wholesale fish agent M Ibrahim complimented the local MLA for his initiative, while lamenting the apathy and indifference of the authorities. A representative of the Margao wholesale fish market Sheikh Jiaz said
the wholesale fish market has been a neglected lot since its inauguration 11 years ago. He thanked the MLA for his initiative to clear the market of the mess.
Even as the ruling Margao Civic body is bracing up to meet the challenge posed by the Fatorda MLA, Vijai’s next destination is the northern entrance to the commercial capital – from the KTC bus stand to the old market circle, craving for attention from the authorities.
