MARGAO, JUNE 17
Colourful water fountains added grandeur and beauty to the once neglected Margao Municipal garden, as Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat threw open the Aga Khan’s Children park in the municipal garden to the people of Margao on Thursday evening.
As the Chief Minister opened the plaque to mark the inauguration in the presence of Forest Minister, Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Damu Naik and the First Citizen MMC Chairperson Savio Coutinho, as many as 13 water fountains, including a ball fountain, started operating, much to the delight of the people around.
If Additional Chief Conservator of Forests, Dr Shashi Kumar is to be believed, one more fountain will operate later in the evening, especially designed for Children, where the tiny tots can come and play in the waters.
While addressing the gathering, Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat said that beautification of the Margao Municipal garden was part of his election manifesto and thanked the Forest Department for making his vision and the dream of Madgavkars a reality.
Going down memory lane, Kamat said he was a regular visitor to the Municipal garden in his childhood days and exuded confidence that children and senior citizens will benefit out of the garden beautification. “Madgavkars have strong sentiments towards the Municipal garden. Once the PWD had proposed to cut down the size of the garden for road widening, but the plan was shelved due to strong protests’, he recalled and added
“Our whole effort was to provide space for children and senior citizens to spend time in the garden. This we have achieved by spending Rs 40 lakhs”, Kamat added.
Both the Chief Minister and Forest Minister, Filipe Neri Rodrigues complimented the Forest officials to implementing the beautification plan sans expertise and consultants.
Rodrigues called upon the forest officials to ensure that anti-socials are kept at bay and free the garden of illegal activities.
While welcoming the garden beautification, Fatorda MLA Damu Naik suggested to the authorities to identify all open spaces in the city and beautify them into small gardens.
Accepting the suggestion, the Chief Minister asked the Margao Municipality to conduct a survey and compile a list of all open spaces in the city for development into gardens and parks.
Margao Municipal Chairperson Savio Coutinho said the garden has been lying in shambles over the years and had notoriety for anti-social activities, and has expressed satisfaction over the garden acquiring a new look on account of the beautification.
