Located towards the south western end of Mormugao Taluka, and major part of constituency surrounded with Portuguese era fort, Mormugao constituency is Goa’s heritage capital
In the last five years as MLA and Minister in the state BJP government, the incumbent MLA Milind Naik has many reasons to cheer as he achieved success in taking up several developmental projects. These include a ground at Bogda, new building for Sanjay School, upgradation of crematorium, cemetery and burial ground, market project (recently started) besides resolving major issue of water crisis, and providing employment to the locals. However, when it comes to resolving some major health issues, the MLA remained unsuccessful in fulfilling the aspirations of his voters.
Firstly the constituency does not have a government hospital and patients from here have to travel all the way to Chicalim to get medical aid. Similarly the residents here have been complaining of coal pollution and want a solution. In the last five years Naik made several public announcements that he would lead an agitation, if coal pollution goes beyond the limit. However, despite GSPCB report highlighting increase in coal pollution followed by notices to coal handling agencies at Mormugao port, no such protest was seen leaving the citizens to face pollution day and night.
Similarly on the issue of pending salary of Western Indian Shipyard Limited (WISL) workers, Naik and BJP government made some efforts to put pressure on the WISL management which has released few months’ salary. But the issue still remains inconclusive and now after WISL management has decided to shut down operations, the fate of 350 odd workers is at stake.
People here are also upset with the way the state government used CRZ as a tool and demolished hundreds of structures at Baina and that too without providing any rehabilitation to the affected victims. They are also upset with the way the work for the beautification of Baina beach was planned and taken up. For the people the beach stretch from Sulabh toilet (Near Baina beach) to extreme end of the beach at Katem Baina where people have been defecating on the beach should have been cleaned and beautified first and then the present stretch which was already maintained by a company providing life guard services on Goan beaches.
Another important issue here is of the pending up-gradation of garbage plant owned by Mormugao Municipal Council. For last five years instances of garbage dump catching fire have put the locals into severe hardships. Now at the end of his tenure, Naik, along with MMC, has appointed an agency that would treat the existing garbage dump which often catches fire.
Politically using his office Naik provided various jobs to the locals and thus managed to get six out of nine councillors elected in the last municipal elections. However, in one year’s time half of them already left Naik citing different reasons.
