During the inauguration of the Calangute beach promenade, former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar assured that the promenade would be well-maintained. In fact, one would not even see sand in the area, he said. His assurances were hollow.
Today, the promenade wears an untidy look. Garbage is scattered all over the area, while the garbage bins, which are not emptied on time, have become feeding trays for stray animals. Tourists visiting Calangute beach can only wonder about how this spot has become world-famous. Even the assured benches for senior citizens have not been installed yet.
“Manohar Parrikar had assured proper maintenance and cleanliness of the beautified area, but the ground reality today is totally different. We find garbage from bins scattered all over the place as it is not being cleared in time. Besides, there are papers and glass bottles in the garden forming part of the promenade. The steps leading to the beach are full of sand. The Calangute beach promenade is not properly maintained as assured by the then chief minister. In a few years, it will be a waste of public money,” said Peter Fernandes.
“When we learnt there would be benches in the beautified area, we were happy that we will be able to spend our time sitting and enjoying the beauty of the beach. We come to Goa during the summer and tend to sit at the entrance of the beach. Till today, we are waiting for the benches. There are many placed along the Saligao-Parra road, but surprisingly there is none at the Calangute beach promenade. Why is Saligao given preference though it is not a tourist destination?” asked Sandra D’Souza, a senior citizen from Mumbai.
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo said, “I agree that the then CM had assured proper maintenance and cleanliness of the promenade, but now since he is no more in Goa, the same may be lacking. However, the government has appointed a contractor to maintain cleanliness at the beach entrance points. The Department of Tourism has to designate an officer to look into the maintenance aspect of the beaches. The designated officer has to conduct a surprise inspection to oversee the cleanliness of the promenade.”
He continued, “Unfortunately the facilities there could not be upgraded as the tourism-related funds were used for construction and widening of roads at Saligao-Parra, beautification and roads at Saligao/Sangolda, which are not tourist destinations. The tourism related funds were misused in Saligao, perhaps because the Minister for tourism is from Saligao. Ultimately, the tourist villages of Calangute, Baga and Candolim suffered.”
