For the city of Panjim, it’s that time of the democratic process again when candidates come knocking at the doors of the city’s residents seeking votes and support. While this usually occurs once in five years, this is happening for the second time in six months and the third in two and a half years. It is then an extra opportunity for Panjimites to seek a change in their cityscape, facilities and quality of life. 

Yet, there doesn’t appear to be much to choose between the manifestoes of the two candidates of the main parties vying to represent the State Capital in the State Legislative Assembly. The bulk of the issues that both candidates have listed in their priorities for the constituency appear to be the same with traffic management, garbage management, development and St Inez Creek getting the bulk of attention, not forgetting some of them who promise to shift the casino vessels from River Mandovi if they are elected. It is almost as if the contenders in the by-election are bereft of ideas. 

Manohar Parrikar of the BJP and Girish Chodankar of the Congress released their individual manifestoes on the same day, as did Anand Shirodkar of the GSM, and with five days to polling day, Panjim voters have been given a limited choice in issues on which to make their decision on who to vote for. The residents of the city want a cleaner city, a better traffic plan that will avoid congestion, a beautified creek and roads that do not get flooded in the monsoon, but there is also that yearning to have something better for the city than just the basics, a something that will improve the quality of life in the city.

Over the past few years there have been many plans thought up for the city. Take for instance the draft master plan for the holistic development of Panjim drawn up by a Spanish firm after consultations with citizens and experts. There is also a smart city plan that too resulted from consultations with citizens and experts. And then there are the manifestoes of the candidates that promise almost everything that has been included in the above two plans. 

Much water has flown down the River Mandovi since the Master Plan was finalised, but the banks of the river have remained unchanged. The walkways and pathways planned have not happened. Just to recall the draft master plan had envisaged converting the KTC bus stand complex and introducing a lush rooftop garden with a view of the city, it had proposed that the arterial roads of the city should be declared no-motor zones and had planned to introduce fountains and lawns and cobblestoned walkways. Four years later nothing of that sort has happened. The city has become more congested and traffic movement slowed down to a crawl at peak hours.

Can this by-election force candidates to think of a better quality life for the residents of Panjim and then work to get it done?

Panjim is a young city, raised to the status of capital and city in 1843, yet has an old world charm of low houses with tiled roofs in certain pockets that blend with the glass-fronted buildings atop which are raised mobile towers. The preservation of that charm is what is missing from the manifestoes of the candidates, who vie to develop the city. Infrastructure and development will happen and nobody can stop that, it is the preservation of the heritage needs more attention. As Panjim plans for the future and for growth, it needs smart ideas and smart manifestoes for the smart city that it plans to be.