PANJIM: The issue of bus stands versus bus stops raised a lot of heat and dust between Quepem MLA Chandrakant Babu Kavalekar and Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral.
While Babu wanted a bus stand to come up at Quepem, Cabral termed the stop at Quepem as a mere bus stop. Sanguem MLA Subhash Faldessai too jumped in to support Babu.
“I want to know when the bus stand is coming up.” Babu questioned, to which Transport Minister Ramkrishna Sudin Dhavalikar replied that the “bus stand was happening.”
Cabral interjected asking the minister how many buses actually started and ended their journey at Quepem. According to him buses were just halted and then moved on. They did not need a bus stand at Quepem, but a bus bay or a bus stop was more than adequate, Cabral said.
“Buses are just stopping and carrying on. They are just parking on the road and creating huge problem for traffic,” he argued to which Babu reacted saying, “He is diverting from the topic. I am aware of what is going on. I am concerned about the people of Quepem.”
This drew an instant retort from Cabral who shot back, “I am also aware of what is going on.”
Dhavalikar for once was not at the receiving end, sought to pacify both over the issue.
“That this bus stand will become a white elephant is his concern. So what if buses come and buses go? But buses park on the road. And once the buses park on the road all transport gets blocked. Whatever is best, we will see,” he promised.
But Cabral was not done. “From Curchorem to Margao we should reach in 40 minutes” he said and all these stands create hindrances and delay traffic,” he argued.
Babu shot back asking, “Why is the MLA trying to create trouble?” Cabral replied, “I am not being troubled. The people are being troubled.”
At this point Dhavalikar sought to play peacemaker and said that he found merit in both questions. “Both the questions are correct.” But then Faldessai interrupted saying, “We should have a place to park the buses. When the buses park on the road, there is a problem.”
Dhavalikar concluded by saying, “Now they have become three. And all of them are asking correct questions,” before some MLAs exchanged smiles and the Speaker moved on to the next question.
